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UNIVERSITY 

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•  S    MONUMENT    TO    THE    CHRISTIAN. 

Bee  page  1 13. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART; 

OR, 

SYE-TEACHING  IN  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 

[REVISED  EDITION.] 


By 'Rev.  W.  F.  CRAFTS, 

Author  of  "The  Coming  Man  is  the  Present  Child,"   " Trophies  of  Song,"   "Ideal 

Sunday-School,"  etc. 


WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION  BY  J.  H.  VINCENT,  D.D. 


AN   APPENDIX   CONTAINING   BLACKBOARD   EXERCISES,   OBJECT    ILLUS- 
TRATIONS, ETC.,  ON  THE  INTERNATIONAL  LESSONS  OF  1877. 

*  Open  thou  mine  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous  things  out  of  thy  law." 


NEW  YORK: 
NELSON      &      PHILLIPS 

CINCINNATI  : 
HITCHCOCK     &     WALDEN. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL  DEPARTMENT. 


3VIJ-3  3- 

£7 


Entered    according  to   Act  of   Congress,   in    the    year    1873,   by 

NELSON  &  PHILLIPS, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


TO     MY     FATHER, 

REV.   F.    A,    CRAFTS, 

WHO   LED  ME  TO  CHEIST  BOTH  BY  WHAT  1  HEARD  FROM 
HIS  LIPS,  AND  WHAT  I  SAW  W  HIS  LIFE, 

®his  Booh  is  lovincjltj  dedicated. 


101694 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  volume  on  the  power  and  method  of  "Eye-teaching,"  which  I 
am  requested  to  "introduce  to  the  Sunday-school  public,"  needs 
no  words  of  explanation  or  compliment.  Its  pages  speak  for  them- 
selves. The  book  is  a  defense  of  a  most  ancient  method  of  teach- 
ing— so  old  that  we  cannot  recall  the  time  when  men  who  thought 
and  taught  at  all  did  not  employ  it.  We  find  it  in  Eden,  when 
God  gave  man  his  first  command  ;  at  Sinai,  when  Moses  taught 
God's  chosen  people  both  law  and  gospel  by  complicated  and  im- 
pressive symbols ;  in  Israel,  by  the  Hiddekel,  and  in  Babylon,  when 
holy  prophets  gave  forth  burning  words  from  the  invisible  God ;  in 
Galilee  and  in  Judea,  when  He  who  "spake  as  never  man  spake" 
taught  the  thronging  multitudes  the  love  and  power  and  sweetness 
that  were  to  be  found  in  his  own  divine  Gospel.  Prophets,  priests, 
apostles,  philosophers,  reformers,  and  teachers  of  all  ages  and  of 
every  nation,  have  used  it.  To-day,  in  the  primary  school,  the 
academy,  college,  on  the  popular  rostrum,  and  in  every  court  of 
justice,  it  is  continually  employed. 

This  book  is  more  than  a  defense.  It  is  a  guide-book  to  all  the 
practical  details  of  the  art.  If  the  author  errs  at  all  it  is  in  the 
excess  of  examples  which  he  furnishes.  He  illustrates  the  whole 
field  of  illustration.  One  is  left  in  no  doubt  as  to  what  he  means  by 
a  principle  or  a  definition.  He  also  exposes  many  of  the  mistakes 
which  enthusiasts  in  chalk  have  made,  reminding  the  teacher  that 
things  thoroughly  good  may  be  sadly  abused. 

Let  not  those  who  use  "Through  the  Eye  to  the  Heart"  forget 
that  after  all  it  is  the  Spirit,  and  not  alone  the  truth,  that  is  to 
reach  and  regenerate  and  enrich  the  heart.  The  clear  apprehension 
)f  truth  does  not  necessarily  bring  the  affections  and  the  life  into 
harmony  with  the  truth.  For  this  interior  and  divine  and  most 
essential  work  we  stand  in  daily  need,  both  as  teachers  and  pupils, 
of  the  ■ '  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven."  For  this  gift — for 
this  Teacher  who  shall  "  teach  us  all  things  "—let  us  look  with  the 
faith  that  is  the  "  evidence  of  things  not  seen."      J.  H.  Vincent. 

New  York,  March,  1873. 


PREFACE  TO  REVISED  EDITION. 


The  author's  purpose  in  the  theoretical  portions  of  this 
book  is  to  show  that  eye-teaching  is  a  legitimate  method 
of  teaching,  and,  also,  that  it  is  practicable  for  all  pastors, 
superintendents,  and  teachers  of  average  ability ;  not  re- 
quiring any  unusual  ingenuity  or  artistic  talent  for  its  suc- 
cessful use,  and  as  appropriate  for  the  teacher's  slate  as 
for  the  school  blackboard. 

The  exercises  will  be  found  to  be  briet  and  suggestive 
rather  than  elaborate  and  exhaustive,  the  desire  being  to 
stimulate  thought  and  study  rather  than  take  their  place. 
Mrs.  Crafts  having  published  "  Open  Letters  to  Primary 
Teachers,"  in  which  the  subject  of  illustration  in  Pri- 
mary Classes  is  fully  treated,  the  appendix  on  that  sub- 
ject from  her  pen  is  omitted  in  this  edition,  and  a  large 
number  of  additional  blackboard  exercises,  especially  pre- 
pared for  the  lessons  of  1877,  take  its  place. 

W.  F.  C. 

Niw  Bidford,  Mass.,  November,  1876. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Introduction 5 

Preface 6 

\Eye- Teaching  in  the  Sunday-School 9 

Eye-Teaching  is  Philosophical 11 

Eye-Teaching  is  Scriptural 13 

>  Eye-Teaching  Adapted  to  the  Times 19 

» With  whom  should  Eye-Teaching  be  Used  ? '20 

\  Whence  Shall  Illustrations  be  G-athered? 21 

<  Who  shall  Conduct  Eye-Teaching? 23 

What  shall  give  us  Themes  for  Eye-Teaching? 24 

Divisions  of  Eye-Teaching 24 

1.  Vivid  Description  and  Allegories 25 

2.  Stories  vividly  told 29 

3.  Stories  represented 32 

4.  Object  Teaching 33 

5.  Map  Teaching 46 

6.  Picture  Teaching 49 

7.  The  Use  and  Abuse  of  the  Blackboard 51 

Abuses 51 

Uses 56 

What  to  Take  Out  of  a  Lesson 70 

Materials  Wanted 71 

How  to  Make  Letters 72 

The  Scholars'  part  in  Blackboard  Exercises 65 

Variety  and  Emphasis G4 

1.  Motto  Exercise 74 

2.  Topic  Exercise 7G>  1 15 


8  CONTENTS. 

Paor 

3.  Initial  Exercise 77,  127 

4.  Syllable  Exercise 77 

5.  Word  Exercise 78,  128 

6.  Phrase  Exercise 79,  135 

7.  Table  Exercise 80 

8.  Acrostic  Exercise 82,  137 

9.  Parallel  and  Contrast  Exercise. 83,  141 

10.  Over-chalking  or  Canceling  Exercise 84 

11.  Erasing  Exercise 87 

12.  Word-Symbol  Exercise 90,  149 

13.  Map  Exercise 92 

14.  Outline  Exercises 96,  156 

Table  op  Symbols 190 

Table  op  Blackboard  Alphabets 195 

Appendix  of  Exercises  for  1 877 107 

Index  to  Illustrations  of  International  Lessons  of  1877 199 


*  C*.    OF 

THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  TE        EAUT. 


Eye-Teaching  in  the  Sunday-School. 

The  great  object  of  the  Sunday-school  is  not  to  organize  its 
members  into  a  picnic  club,  or  a  library  association,  or  a  sing- 
ing-school, or  a  theological  institute  ;  not  merely  to  please,  or 
discipline,  or  teach,  as  the  end  in  view,  but  by  means  of  all 
these  to  accomplish  its  great  purpose,  to  present  Chtetst  70 

Christ  is  to  be  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and 
the  ending,  the  first  and  the  last,  in  Sunday-school  work 
He  must  be  above  all,  and  in  all.  and  through  all  the 
exercises. 

A  little  child  climbed  up  in  her  chair  at  home  to  preach  to 
her  little  brothers  and  sisters.  She  turned  to  the  right  and 
said,  "  Jesus;  "  then  to  the  front  and  said,  "  Jesus  ;  "  then  to 
the  left  and  said,  "Jesus,"  and  her  sermon  was  ended.  So  in 
the  Sunday-school  we  must  begin  and  continue  and  end  with 
u  Jesus." 

Though  a  school  can  speak  at  concerts  with  the  tongues  of 
men  and  of  angels,  and  though  its  blackboard  be  always  at- 
tractive, its  superintendent  always  pleasant,  and  its  numbers 
iarge,  yet  if  it  only  talks  about  Christ  instead  of  talking 
Christ,  if  it  only  pleases  without  saving  its  scholars,  all  its 
machinery  and  outward  success  are  but  as  u  sounding  brass  and 
a  tinklinir  cvmbal."  Like  one  of  the  English  li^ht-houses,  the 
Sunday-school  should  have  the  double  inscription,  "  To  give 


10        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

light,  to  save  life."  A  boy  with  a  Testament  was  asked  what 
a*1  knew  about  Jesus.  He  replied,  "I  haven't  got  to  that 
yet."  A  Sunday-school  which  has  not  "  got  to  that  yet," 
amid  its  many  schemes  and  plans  and  picnics,  is  false  to  its 
trust. 

To  present  Christ,  then,  is  our  object  in  Sunday-school 
work.  How  shall  we  vividly  and  savingly  present  him  to  the 
heart  ?  By  universal  consent  the  senses  must  usher  truth  to 
the  soul. 

The  Sunday-school  works  mainly  through  the  two  most  in- 
fluential senses,  sight  and  hearing.  Hearing  lacks  vividness 
without  sight ;  sight  lacks  definiteness  without  hearing.  It 
is  well,  therefore,  that  hearing  and  seeing  should  accompany 
each  other.  Joseph's  brethren  brought  to  their  father,  who 
had  long  mourned  for  Joseph  as  dead,  this  wonderful  mes- 
sage :  "  Thus  saith  thy  son  Joseph,  I  am  yet  alive ;  come 
down  unto  me,  tarry  not."  Jacob's  heart  fainted  when  he 
simply  heard  these  words,  for  he  believed  them  not;  but  "when 
he  saw  the  wagons  which  Joseph  had  sent  to  carry  him,  the 
spirit  of  Jacob  their  father  revived."  The  wagons  would  have 
meant  nothing  unless  they  had  been  preceded  by  the  mes- 
sage; the  message  would  have  failed  unless  it  had  been  fol- 
lowed by  the  wagons.  This  shows  us  how  to  use  the  eye  and 
ear  in  the  Sunday-school.  Give  what  "is  written"  and  then, 
by  maps,  pictures,  objects,  blackboard  exercises,  and  stories, 
put  it  into  "  wagons  "  to  help  the  imagination  and  the  under- 
standing. The  flowers  and  butterflies  in  "Joseph's  garden" 
had  no  smile  of  hope,  no  promise  of  a  resurrection,  for  Mary, 
when  she  came  there  at  that  early  hour  of  Easter  morning, 
u  while  it  was  yet  dark"  in  her  heart;  but  since  the  message 
has  come,  "  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed,"  every  flower  and  but- 
terfly  lias  been  to  the  bereaved  an  object-lesson  of  the  resur- 
rection. Until  the  announcement  of  Christ's  rising  was  heard, 
the  grain  gave  no  promise  of  a  future  life;  but,  after  that 
Paul  )>iil  the  whole  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  into  the  "seed 
that  falls  into  the  ground  and  dies11  that  it  may  live  again. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        11 

Thus  hearing  and  seeing  should  work  together.  But  while 
u  Ear-Gate "  has  had  a  well-trodden  path  by  constant  use, 
"  Eye-Gate  "  has  rusted  on  its  hinges  in  neglect.  We  wish 
to  speak  especially  of  the  way  to  present  Christ  to  the  heart 
through  this  much-neglected  "  Eye-Gate." 

The  visions  by  which  God  taught  his  truth  were  usually 
more  impressive  than  his  spoken  messages.  The  words  writ- 
ten in  fire  on  the  wall  at  Babylon  conveyed  God's  warning  to 
the  King's  heart  more  convincingly  than  spoken  words  would 
have  done.  Dr.  Vincent  found  it  hard  to  get  his  little  boy  to 
eat  bread  and  butter  until,  one  morning,  after  spreading  a 
slice  of  bread,  he  cut  it  into  bread-logs  and  piled  it  up  in  the 
shape  of  a  house,  and  then  very  quickly  "down  came  the 
house,"  and  all  was  eaten ! 

Put  the  "  bread  of  heaven  "  into  object-lessons  and  visible 
illustrations,  and  the  many  hearts  who  find  it  hard  to  realize 
the  truth  they  hear  will  eagerly  receive  it  and  understand  it. 
Talk  about  the  power  of  God's  promises  in  general  terms,  and 
it  may  all  be  forgotten.  Make  the  picture  of  a  key  on  the 
blackboard  and  write  ori  it  "  Promise,"  and  then  tell  the  story 
of  the  "  key  of  promise"  and  Doubting  Castle,  and  you  will 
make  the  oldest  and  youngest  hearers  feel  the  preciousness 
and  power  of  God's  promises  ;  or,  picture  a  bunch  of  keys  of 
different  sizes  and  write  a  promise  on  each  one,  and  then  you 
can  tell  those  to  whom  you  speak  that  God's  promises  fit 
every  experience  of  life  and  unlock  every  difficulty — and  every 
hearer  will  grasp  and  keep  the  thought. 

Eye-Teaching  is  Philosophical. 

All  of  the  senses  seem  to  merjye  themselves  in  si^ht.  As 
each  of  the  four  fingers  is  exactly  opposite  the  thumb,  so  each 
of  the  other  four  senses  seems  to  connect  itself  with  sight. 
We  say  of  food  that  we  have  been  describing,  " Taste  and 
see  /"  we  say  of  the  fragrance  of  a  flower  of  which  we  have 
been  speaking,  "Smell  and  see  /"  we  say  of  some  excellent 


12        tHkOUGH  T£E  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

singer  whose  voice  we  have  eulogized,  "Hear  and  see;"  or 
of  a  gem  we  have  called  very  smooth,  "Feel  and  see"  In  a 
new  sense,  " It  is  all  in  your  eye"  Whether  it  be  music  or 
perfume,  we  say,  "  Come  and  see ;  "  whether  it  be  bread  or 
stone,  we  say,  "  Try  and  see"  Even  of  questions  in  our 
minds  we  say,  "Let  me  see;"  and  if  the  matter  be  obscure, 
a  I  can't  see  it."  This  is  because  we  think  by  images,  by 
something  we  can  see,  or  imagine  that  we  see.  It  is  a  craving 
of  the  mind  that  makes  "  the  likes  "  necessary  in  every  kind 
of  teaching.  The  unknown  must  be  taught  by  likening  it  to 
something  that  is  known ;  the  unseen  must  be  represented  by 
the  seen. 

Modern  primers  teach  the  unknown  word  by  placing  it  be- 
side the  picture  of  the  object  it  represents.  The  picture  of  a 
dog  will  aid  the  little  scholar  to  remember  the  word  "Dog." 
We  used  to  say,  "  D  stands  for  Dog  ; "  rather  was  it  "  Dog 
(the  picture)  stands  for  D."  Halt"  of  our  childhood  knowl- 
edge comes  in  rhymes  about  the  "  likes."  Rev.  Dr.  M'Cook 
gives  a  happy  example  of  this  in  his  work  on  "  Object  and 
Outline  Teaching : " 

11  As  red  as  a  cherry,  as  brisk  as  a  bee, 
As  brown  as  a  berry,  as  tall  as  a  tree, 
As  sweet  as  a  pink,  as  bitter  as  gall, 
As  black  as  ink,  as  round  as  a  ball,"  etc. 

Try  to  teach  a  child  what  "red  "  is  without  this  implied  or 
real  object-teach ing,  with  nothing  but  words  to  describe  what 
it  is,  and  the  child  will  have  as  poor  an  idea  of  it  as  the  blind 
man,  who,  after  a  long  explanation  of  this  color,  concluded  it 
must  be  "very  much  like  the  sound  of  a  trumpet."  Hold  up 
the  cherry  to  the  child,  and  the  lesson  is  learned  in  a  moment. 
This  same  method  follow-  us  into  a  completer  education. 
Maps,  specimens,  blackboards,  slates,  etc.,  are  found  even  in 
the  highest  grades  of  teaching.  Though  a  man  have  spoken 
his  words  never  fo  eloquently,  the  hearers  w;mt  him,  if  pos- 
sible, to  have  "  something  to  show  for  it."     A  figure  is  more 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        13 

easily  retained  than  an  abstract  truth.  So  deeply  grounded 
is  this  fact  in  our  nature  that  we  think  by  figures  and  pictures. 
Indeed,  language  itself  is  fossil  pictures,  rather  than  "  fossil 
poetry,"  as  Emerson  calls  it.  Letters  were  originally  hie- 
roglyphics, and  hieroglyphics  are  only  pictures  used  as  sym- 
bols. When  we  add  something  shown  to  something  spoken, 
we  only  add  a  picture  for  the  eye  to  a  picture  for  the  imag- 
ination. 

Eye-Teaching  Scriptural. 

Dr.  Vincent,  in  the  preface  to  his  recent  work  on  "  The 
Church  School,"  says  :  u  The  good  philanthropists  of  the  last 
century,  in  digging  that  they  might  build  a  human  fabric, 
laid  bare  an  ancient  and  divine  foundation."  These  words, 
spoken  of  the  modern  Sunday-school,  are  especially  true  of  its 
eye-teaching.  It  is  not  "  a  new  idea,"  but  an  "  ancient  and 
divine  foundation"  laid  bare  for  us  to  build  upon  to-day. 

The  Bible  is  full  of  object-lessons  taught  by  God  himself, 
by  Christ,  and  by  the  inspired  writers,  with  trees,  stars, 
shields,  girdles,  fruits,  birds,  pictures,  etc.,  as  their  texts  and 
illustrations.  The  broken  tree  teaches  the  fate  of  the  wicked, 
the  withered  tree  that  of  the  idle,  the  fruitful  tree  that  of  the 
righteous.  The  a  empty  vine  "  teaches  us  of  the  unfaithful, 
the  vine  of  u  wild  grapes  "  of  the  wicked,  the  vine  of  "  good 
fruit "  of  those  who  abide  in  Christ.  The  star  represents  the 
Messiah,  also  those  who  turn  many  to  righteousness.  The 
rent  garment,  the  rotten  girdle,  the  "  naughty  figs,"  etc.,  are 
used  to  represent  wickedness  and  God's  dealings  with  it.  In 
fact,  the  Bible  is  an  "  illuminated  missal,"  as  Chapin  calls  it, 
in  every  page  full  of  pictures  and  object-teaching. 

God  himself  is  our  precedent  in  this  kind  of  instruction. 
Take,  for  instance,  his  teachings  of  Jeremiah,  "  What  seest 
thou,  Jeremiah?"  (Jer.  i,  11;  xxiv,  3;)  or  his  great  object- 
lesson  given  to  Peter  on  the  housetop  at  Joppa,  (Acts  x,  9, 
etc.)  Any  one  interested  in  following  out  this  study  may  find 
other  cases  where  God  himself  taught  his  truth  by  this  method 


14        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

of  eye-teaching  in  the  following  passages,  many  of  which  the 

teacher  can  adapt  to  his  own  use : 

Jer.  xiii,  1-11,  The  marred  girdle;  xviii,  1-6.  The  potter's  vessel;  xix, 
1-11,  The  broken  bottle ;  xxvii,  1-11,  Bonds  and  yokes;  xliii,  8-10,  Stoues 
in  the  clay;  li,  63,  64,  The  stone  and  the  book:  Ezek.  iv,  1-8;  Black- 
board exercise  on  a  tile;  v,  The  hair  and  the  punishment  of  wrong;  xxxvii, 
1-14,  Dry  bones;  xxxvii,  15-28,  Sticks;  xlvii,  1-12,  Waters;  Dan.  ii,  31- 
45,  The  great  image;  Gen.  ii,  16,  It,  Teaching  the  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil  by  means  of  commands  associated  with  a  tree;  Jonah  iv,  4-11,  God's 
pity  for  the  wicked  taught  with  a  gourd ;  Gen.  xxii,  1-14,  A  dramatic  ob- 
ject-lesson to  teach  trust  in  God;  xv,  5,  6,  Stars;  lx,  9-26,  Heifer,  etc. 
Moses  recognized  the  blackboard  idea  when  he  said  of  Scripture  texts  to  the 
Israelites,  "Thou  shalt  write  them  upon  the  posts  of  thy  house  and  on  thy 
gates." 

The  illustrations  of  eye-teaching  in  the  life  of  our  "  Great 
Teacher"  are  no  less  abundant.  Wayside  wells,  mountain 
lilies,  flying  clouds,  vineyards,  harvest-fields,  every  thing  that 
met  his  eye,  was  turned  into  Gospel,  as  Midas  turned  every 
thing  he  touched  into  gold.  He  even  caused  a  tree  to  wither 
away  to  use  it  as  an  object-lesson  for  his  disciples !  Beecher 
says  of  this  act  and  others  of  his  object-lessons  : 

"  As  to  his  condemning  the  tree,  it  was  not  a  judicial  sen- 
tence. We  are  not  to  suppose  that  our  Saviour  summoned 
the  tree  into  judgment,  and  argued  upon  it  as  if  it  were  a  moral 
being  under  condemnation  or  under  penalty.  No ;  the  whole 
plot  and  plan  of  the  ancient  mode  of  teaching  forbids  that  in- 
terpretation of  it.  It  is  but  an  acted  parable.  And  this  is 
an  important  thought,  because  in  many  instances  in  Christ's 
life  the  same  mode  of  teaching  was  resorted  to. 

"  For  example,  when  he  cleansed  the  temple,  undoubtedly 
the  whole  act  was  a  parabolic  act.  He  drove  out  the  cattle  ; 
he  overturned  the  money-changers'  tables;  he  commanded 
those  that  had  doves  to  take  them  thence.  And  the  whole 
was  not  a  mere  formal  attempt  at  the  reformation  of  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  temple,  but  a  series  of  acts  which  indicated 
the  purification  of  religion — the  change  that  was  going  on. 
And,  as  usual,  it  was  a  kind  of  parabolic  action.  As  a  parable 
is  a  picture  in  words,  conveying  not  a  moral  lesson — not 
a  truth   narrated — but   simply  an   artificial    picture,   drawn 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.         15 

for  the  sake  of  certain  moral  results  which  were  to  flow  from 
it,  so  certain  of  Christ's  actions  were  dramatic.  They  were, 
as  it  were,  a  momentary  drama,  enacted  for  the  sake  of  the 
truth  that  they  would  convey.  The  most  impressive  one  of 
all  these  is  the  Transfiguration,  in  which,  with  Peter,  James, 
and  John,  he  went  to  the  mountain,  where,  while  he  was 
praying,  they  fell  asleep.  When  they  awoke  they  saw  two 
angelic,  or  celestial  personages,  standing  and  talking  with 
him.  And  his  countenance  was  changed.  Then  they  com- 
muned with  him  concerning  his  coming  death.  The  whole 
was  to  those  disciples  a  picture  of  the  event.  It  was  not  so 
much  a  prophetic  representation  to  interpret  it  to  them  as  a 
pictorial  representation  to  fortify  their  minds,  so  that  when 
their  earthly  hopes,  which  were  centered  in  him,  should 
be  dashed,  they  would  be  bold,  and  maintain  faith  in  him. 
It  was  a  kind  of  enacted  celestial  parable,  or  picture,  or 
tableau. 

"  So  here,  when  going  in  the  morning  to  Jerusalem,  Jesus 
saw  the  fig-tree  and  observed  that  it  was  in  full  leaf.  Evi- 
dently it  was  a  prematurely  early  one.  And  why  should  he 
go  to  see  if  there  were  figs  upon  it  ?  Because  sometimes  a 
tree  bore  winter  figs,  which  became  ripe  in  early  spring ;  and 
perhaps  he  might  have  expected  that  there  would  be  some  on 
that  one  which  he  might  glean.  But  when  he  came  to  it,  and 
found  that  there  were  no  figs,  but  leaves  only,  he  said,  i  Let 
no  fruit  grow  on  thee  henceforward  forever,  and  let  no  man 
eat  fruit  of  thee.' 

"  That  this  was  said  in  a  very  impressive  manner  is  evident 
by  the  fact  that  when,  the  day  after,  the  disciples  returned 
that  way,  they  remembered  the  occurrence,  and  called  his  at- 
tention to  the  tree.  Doubtless  he  designed  that  this  should 
be  a  very  solemn  instruction  to  them. 

"  But  what  was  the  instruction  ?  They  were  every  day  going 
backward  and  forward  to  and  from  Jerusalem.  There  he  went 
into  the  sacred  precinct,  or  into  the  part  of  it  which  was  Herod's 
great  porch — the  Basilica?  as  it  was  called.     There  he  used  to 


16        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

teach  the  people.  All  around  about  him  were  the  insignia 
of  Jewish  worship,  and  his  very  business  was  to  expose  the 
superficialities  of  life  in  these  things.  He  was,  from  day  to 
day,  attempting  to  carry  them  back  to  the  reality  of  a  relig- 
ious life,  to  a  deeper  moral  tone,  to  a  more  earnest  conscien- 
tiousness. It  was  his  business  to  reprehend  the  self-conceit 
and  moral  complacency  which  passed  itself  off  upon  mere 
superficial  observers.  And  here  was  an  opportunity.  Here 
happened  to  be,  of  all  the  trees  that  stood  in  the  road  on  that 
early  spring  day,  one  that  had  come  into  full  leaf.  But  when 
he  went  up  to  it  he  found  no  fruit  on  it,  but  leaves  only — 
nothing  but  leaves.  It  was  just  exactly  like  those  over  the 
other  side.  All  of  them  were  full  of  leaves,  but  not  one  of 
them — neither  priest,  nor  scribe,  nor  Pharisee,  nor  Sadducee 
— bore  any  fruit.  All  of  them  were  clothed  with  leaves,  but 
none  of  them  were  fruitful.  Here  was  a  symbol,  here  was  an 
opportunity  of  illustrating  a  fact  by  a  parabolic  action.  By 
destroying  that  tree  with  a  word  he  could  impress  upon  his 
disciples  that  which  would  be  a  benefit  to  them  in  their  teach- 
ings of  men  for  ever  after.     And  he  did  it." 

Study  the  sermon  on  the  mount  with  a  view  of  observing 
its  eye-teaching.  The  Emancipation  Proclamation  has  been 
so  written  that  the  snarling  of  the  letters  forms  a  picture  of 
President  Lincoln,  which  seems  to  lie  beneath  the  writing.  So 
in  this  sermon  on  the  mount,  by  the  vividness  of  its  local  il- 
lustrations, we  see  a  picture  of  Christ  sitting  on  the  mountain, 
and  pointing  with  his  finger  to  the  objects  in  sight,  as  he  draws 
from  each  its  appropriate  lesson  ;  and  not  only  do  we  see  the 
finger  of  Christ,  but  in  and  under  the  sermon  we  find  a  map 
of  the  scenery  all  about  him,  with  its  cities,  its  trees,  its  birds, 
its  flowers,  and  even  its  weeds,  sketched  upon  it. 

Notice  the  sermon  in  this  light.  Wishing  to  impress  upon 
the  disciples  their  great  responsibility  and  wide  influence,  he 
points  them  to  the  city  of  Safed  on  the  mountains  near  by, 
distinctly  seen,  as  the  sunlight  gilded  its  walls,  and  then  he 
says  to  the  disciples,  c<  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world,  a  city 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        17 

that  is  set  on  a  hill  that  cannot  be  hid?''  Matt,  v,  14.  Then 
he  turns  and  calls  the  attention  of  the  multitude  to  the  narrow 
and  wide  gates  of  the  city.*  Through  the  narrow  gate,  which 
is  called  "  the  needle's  eye,"  are  passing  a  few  foot-passengers, 
and  a  camel  now  and  then  enters,  but  only  by  bowing  down 
and  leaving  his  burden  outside  the  gate :  on  the  other  hand, 
through  the  large  city  gates  flows  the  gulf  stream  of  business 
and  the  eager  multitude  of  tradesmen.  Christ  applies  the 
scene  to  his  sermon  :  "  Enter  ye  in  at  the  strait  gate :  for  wide 
is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that  leadeth  to  destruction, 
and  many  there  be  which  go  in  thereat :  because  strait  is  the 
gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  which  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it."  Matt,  vii,  13,  etc.  Beware,  O  ye  rich 
men !  for  you  can  only  enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven  as  the 
camel  passes  the  needle's  eye,  by  bowing  at  the  gate,  and  leav- 
ing your  burden  behind. 

Then  he  seems  to  turn  his  eyes  more  to  the  natural  objects 
about  him,  and  translates  their  lessons  to  the  disciples.  The 
sparrows  that  sing  among  the  olive-trees  of  the  mountain  at- 
tract his  attention,  and  he  points  to  them  that  he  may  teach 
the  watchcare  of  Providence :  "  Are  not  five  sparrows  sold 
for  two  farthings,  and  not  one  of  them  is  forgotten  before 
God  ?  Fear  not  therefore  :  ye  are  of  more  value  than  many 
sparrows."  Luke  xii,  6,  7.  Then  another  flock  of  birds  at- 
tracts his  attention,  and  he  uses  them  to  still  further  enforce 
this  thought  of  God's  care :  "  Consider  the  ravens :  for  they 
neither  sow  nor  reap ;  which  neither  have  storehouse  nor 
barn  ;  and  God  feedeth  them :  how  much  more  are  ye  better 
than  the  fowls?"  Luke  xii,  24.  Then  he  weaves  the  vines 
and  trees,  and  also  the  thistles  and  thorns,  of  the  mountain 
into  a  lesson  of  diligence  in  showing  faith  by  works :  "  Ye 
shall  know  them  by  their  fruits.  Do  men  gather  grapes  of 
thorns  or  figs  of  thistles  ?  "  The  cloud  that  appears  in  sight 
also  bears  him  a  message :  "  And  he  said,  When  ye  see  a  cloud 

*  We  use  the  familiar  explanation  of  the  "  needle's  eye,"  although  there  is 
division  of  opinion  between  this  explanation  and  others. 

2 


18        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

rise  out  of  the  west,  straightway  ye  say,  There  cometh  a 
shower ;  and  so  it  is.  Ye  hypocrites,  ye  a  n  discern  the  face 
of  the  sky  and  of  the  earth ;  but  how  is  it  that  ye  do  not  dis- 
cern this  time  ?  " — the  spiritual  truth  of  my  mission.  Best  of 
all,  he  impressed  the  lesson  of  God's  personal  watchcare, 
which  he  had  taught  by  the  sparrows  and  ravens,  by  turning 
to  the  beautiful  white  lilies  of  Palestine  that  bloomed  abun- 
dantly about  him,  and  saying :  Consider  the  lilies ;  observe 
them  carefully ;  take  their  lesson  to  heart ;  read  it  over  and 
over.  Consider  the  lilies:  how  abundantly  they  grow,  how 
prosperously  they  grow,  how  mysteriously  they  grow.  Con- 
sider the  beauty  of  the  lilies  :  Solomon  in  all  the  glory  of  his 
royal  white  robe  was  not  arrayed  with  such  beauty  as  this 
snowy  lily.  Wherefore,  if  God  so  adorn  the  grass  and  flowers 
of  the  field,  which  quickly  fade,  and  are  cast  with  the  dry  straw 
and  withered  herbs  and  stubble  into  the  oven  for  fuel,  how 
much  more  will  he  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith  !  The 
sparrows  are  almost  worthless,  and  yet  God  watches  over 
their  lives  /  the  ravens  have  no  storehouse,  yet  our  Father 
provides  their  food;  the  lilies  toil  not,  and  yet  the  Father 
gives  them  raiment.  And  shall  not  He  who  takes  such  care 
of  the  fowls  in  his  yard  and  the  plants  in  his  garden  much  more 
clothe  and  care  for  you,  who  are  the  children  of  his  fireside  ? 
As  the  sibyl  wrote  her  prophecies  on  leaves,  so  Jesus  has 
written  his  truth  on  the  lily  blossom,  the  raven's  wing,  the 
ruby  grape,  the  white  grain,  the  passing  cloud,  the  narrow 
and  wide  gates,  the  city  of  the  hill-top,  the  water  of  the  way- 
side well,  and  the  fruit  of  the  orchard.  The  Indians  have  a 
legend,  mentioned  in  Hiawatha,  that — 

"  All  the  wild  flowers  of  the  forest, 

All  the  lilies  of  the  prairie, 

When  oti  earth  they  fade  and  perish, 

Blossom  in  the  rainbow  o'er  us : 

'Tis  the  heaven  of  flowers  you  see  there." 

Christ,  on  the  other  hand,  took  the  heavenly  rainbow  of  truth 
and  put  it  into  the  "wild  flowers"  and  "lilies"  of  earth. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        19 

Sandalphon,  the  angel  of  prayer,  says  the  legend, 
"  Gathers  our  prayers  as  he  stands, 
And  they  turn  into  flowers  in  his  hands." 

The  great  Teacher  shows  us  how  we  may  take  the  flowers  in 
our  hands  and  turn  them  into  prayers. 

Were  it  necessary,  it  might  be  interesting  to  show  in  this 
connection  how  the  Tabernacle  was  a  great  school  for  object- 
lessons,  each  part  of  it  teaching  the  people  a  word  of  high  im- 
port. As  the  child  in  bis  primer  sees  the  picture  of  a  house, 
and  learns  the  word  "House"  below  it  the  more  readily,  so 
God  showed  the  people  a  bloody  altar,  and  wrote  under  it  that 
great  word,  "  Atonement ; "  he  showed  them  a  laver  of  pure 
water,  and  taught  them  the  word  "  Purity ; "  he  showed  them 
a  golden  candlestick,  and  taught  them  "  Light ;  "  the  lamb 
was  a  prophecy  of  "  the  Lamb  of  God  ; "  the  vail,  of  Christ's 
flesh.  God  was  teaching  the  unseen  and  eternal  by  the  seen 
and  temporal.  These  altars  and  lavers,  etc.,  were  but  "figures 
of  the  true."  The  whole  book  of  Hebrews  teaches  through 
these  object-lessons.  Christ  himself  was  not  only  a  sacrifice 
for  us,  but  was  also  a  grand  visible  lesson,  illustrating  to  man 
how  the  characteristics  of  God  could  be  4C  made  manifest 
in  the  flesh."  God  gave  to  men  this  privilege  of  seeing  Christ 
in  answer  to  that  feeling  that  made  it  the  intensest  longing  of 
the  prophets  and  sweetest  memory  of  the  apostles  to  "  see 
Jesus."  The  world  desired  to  "  behold  the  Lamb,"  unsatisfied, 
like  Simeon,  until  it  had  "  seen  God's  salvation."  The  Bible 
is  the  greatest  text-book  and  store-house  of  object-lessons  in 
the  world.  Every  sacrifice  and  feast  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  every  sacrament  of  the  New,  is  an  object-lesson.  The  Sab- 
bath is  an  object-lesson  of  creation,  and  also  of  heaven  ;  the 
rainbow  after  the  flood,  the  moving  pillar  in  the  wilderness, 
and  every  vision  of  prophecy,  are  object-lessons,  and  the 
119th  Psalm  is  an  acrostic  of  Hebrew  letters. 

Eye-Te aching  Adapted  to  the  Times. 
We  need  only  to  refer  to  the  increased  amount  of  black- 


20        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

board  work  in  our  day-schools,  to  the  large  number  of  maga- 
zines and  papers  that  have  recently  introduced  illustrations 
into  their  heretofore  unillustrated  pages,  to  the  inscriptions  on 
rocks  and  fences,  the  great  number  of  picture  advertisements 
in  our  papers,  and  the  increasing  custom  of  illustrating  lect- 
ures, to  remind  our  readers  that  one  marked  characteristic 
of  this  age  is  an  inclination  to  put  things  into  the  mind  by  a 
quick  concentration  on  the  eye.  We  must  "  discern  the  signs 
of  the  times"  and  keep  up  with  them.  We  must  study  times 
and  men.  The  advertising  pages,  which  are  epitomized  photo- 
graphs of  the  day,  and  the  "  Bitters"  on  stones,  u  Buchu  "  on 
trees,  and  "Magic  Oil"  on  every  thing,  notwithstanding  their 
quackery,  teach  us  that  this  age  must  be  reached  very  much 
through  the  eye. 

With  Whom  should  Eye-Teaching  be  Used? 

Not  with  the  little  children  alone  by  any  means,  nor  with 
the  ignorant  simply.  Christ  used  it  in  teaching  the  rich  and 
wise  Nicodemus.  He  taught  him  the  greatest  truth  that  man 
can  ever  learn  by  reminding  him  of  the  serpent  lifted  up  in 
the  wilderness,  and  using  that  as  an  object-lesson  to  teach 
him  of  redemption  and  regeneration.  Paul  was  not  too  old 
or  learned,  after  he  had  graduated  from  "  the  feet  of  Gama- 
liel," to  be  taught  by  an  object-lesson.  "As  we  tarried  [at 
Cesarea]  there  many  days,  there  came  down  from  Judea  a 
certain  prophet,  named  Agabus.  And  when  he  was  come  unto 
us,  he  took  Paul's  girdle,  and  bound  his  own  hands  and  feet, 
and  said,  Thus  saith  the  Holy  Ghost,  So  shall  the  Jews  at 
Jerusalem  bind  the  man  that  owneth  this  girdle."  Acts  xxi, 
10,  11.  God  came  to  teach  even  the  eloquent  Peter,  not  ex- 
actly with  outlines  on  a  blackboard,  but  with  "  all  manner 
of  beasts  in  a  sheet  let  down  from  heaven."  The  blackboard 
and  object-lesson  are  as  necessary  in  a  school  where  there  are 
many  adults  as  in  an  infant-school.  All  feel  the  power  of 
this  God-given  method  of  presenting  the  truth  to  the  heart. 


through  the  eye  to  the  heart.  21 

Whence  Shall  Illustrations  be  Gathered? 

In  answer  to  this  question  we  give  an  extract  from  an  ad- 
mirable address  by  Rev.  Stephen  H.  Tyng,  Jim.,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  illustration : — 

"  1.  Let  them  be  gathered  from  the  word  of  God  itself. 
The  writers  of  the  seventeenth  century  used  Scripture  to 
illustrate  Scripture.  Every  thing  in  this  book,  the  Bible,  is 
there  by  divine  choice.  There  is  nothing  not  intended  to 
be  used  to  illustrate  some  positive  truth.  There  is  nothing 
so  direct  in  addressing  the  minds  of  children  as  the  similes  of 
Scripture.  Speaking  of  the  judgment-day,  can  you  find  any 
thino-  that  more  admirably  illustrates  it  than  the  thief  in  the 
night  ?  Speaking  of  servants,  is  there  any  thing  illustrating 
it  more  perfectly  than  the  yoke,  of  which  God  bears  a  part? 
Take  the  parables,  those  matchless  portions  of  Christ's  own 
wisdom,  which  go  to  interpret  the  force  of  every  thing  in 
this  world.  .  .  .  The  Old  Testament  illustrations  and  quota- 
tions were  used  by  Christ  in  his  life,  on  the  cross,  and  we 
also  find  them  in  the  Revelation  after  Christ's  ascension.  In 
using  illustrations  take  them  from  the  Bible,  and  tell  them  in 
your  own  language.  Bunyan's  'Pilgrim's  Progress'  is  based 
on  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  Illustrations  from  nature 
may  also  be  employed.  You  may  have  the  beautiful  parable 
of  Gotthold.  A  piece  of  clay  was  placed  by  the  side  of  a 
tea-rose,  and  when  removed  it  had  absorbed  the  fragrance 
of  the  rose.  What  teaches  better  than  this  the  relation  we 
bear  to  Jesus?  Take  the  parable  of  Jean  Paul  Richter. 
Walking  in  his  garden  in  the  morning,  he  saw  the  pearly 
dew-drop  on  the  leaf.  In  the  evening  he  went  out  to  look 
at  the  dew-drop,  and  found  that  it  had  gone.  He  looked 
about  and  saw  the  rainbow  in  the  heavens.  This  he  used  to 
illustrate  the  death  of  little  children,  and  to  show  how  they 
are  transplanted  from  this  beauteous  earth  to  reappear  with 
greater  beauty  in  the  heavens.  Form  your  parable  from 
things  you  see.     2.  Keep  within  the  range  of  the  scholar's 


22        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

observation.  If  there  is  any  thing  I  abhor  in  a  Sunday- 
school  it  is  a  fixture.  I  have  had  people  tell  the  same  stories 
which  I  have  heard  ever  since  childhood,  and  they  told  them 
as  occurring  in  their  own  experience.  There's  a  great  dan- 
ger in  telling  old  stories.  3.  Keep  within  the  region  of 
probabilities.  Some  people  tell  such  improbable  stories  that 
the  children  can't  believe  them.  Be  jealous  for  the  truth. 
4.  Some  men  have  a  habit  of  saying  things  out  of  place. 
I  knew  a  man  who  had  a  story  about  noise,  and  told  it  on 
every  possible  occasion.  When  in  company  he  would  stamp 
his  foot  and  say,  'There's  a  noise.  O,  speaking  of  noise 
reminds  me  of  a  story,'  and  then  he  would  proceed  with  it. 
Some  men  thus  use  every  opportunity  to  make  a  nail  to  hang 
a  story  on,  even  if  it  does  not  fit  into  the  lesson.  5.  Peo- 
ple hang  on  to  stories  too  long.  When  you  are  done  with 
stories,  drop  them.  Of  what  use  is  the  scaffold  after  the 
building  is  completed  ?  " 

Rev,  Wm.  M.  Taylor,  D.D.,  says  on  the  same  subject : 
"There  is  no  faculty  more  susceptible  of  development  by 
culture  than  that  of  discovering  analogies.  The  study  of 
the  sermons  of  those  men  who  are  most  remarkable  for  the 
pertinence  of  their  illustrations  will  be  of  service  to  you — 
not  by  furnishing  you  with  analogies  ready-made,  but  by 
showing  you  what  treasures  are  lying  all  around  you.  We 
may  paraphrase  here  the  inscription  on  Wren's  monument, 
and  say,  lSi  illustrationes  quoeris  circamspice?  You  will 
find  them  every-where — in  the  talk  of  the  children  and  the 
shouts  of  the  school-boys ;  on  the  street  and  in  the  store ;  on 
the  ship  and  in  the  railroad  car ;  in  the  field  of  Nature  and  on 
the  page  of  literature.  Only  compel  yourself  for  a  time  to 
look  at  every  thing  with  the  question  uppermost,  '  What  use 
can  I  make  of  that  in  commending  the  truth  of  Christ  to  my 
fellow-men  ?'  and  by  and  by  you  will  have  so  formed  the  habit 
that,  unconsciously  and  without  any  effort  on  your  part,  the 
finest  analogies  will  strike  you." 


through  the  eye  to  the  heart.  23 

Who  shall  Conduct  Efe-Te  aching? 

That  which  is  to  be  given  before  the  whole  school  should 
be  conducted  by  the  pastor,  if  he  is  the  best  man  for  such 
work,  or  by  the  superintendent,  or  by  a  selected  teacher.  Let 
the  best  workman  be  selected  whatever  his  position.  One 
may  be  best  in  object-teaching,  another  in  blackboard  work. 
In  the  latter  not  only  skill  in  using  chalk  is  to  be  considered, 
but  also  and  especially  ability  to  talk  the  subject  sweetly  into 
the  hearts  of  those  that  hear.  One  may  design  the  exercises 
and  talk  about  them,  having  another  who  is  a  better  artist  to 
do  the  mechanical  work.  If  there  is  an  artist  in  the  school, 
enlist  his  talent  for  Christ.  "  God  sends  us  an  artist,  and  he 
immediately  becomes  a  blackboardist,"  said  an  enthusiastic 
Sunday-school  pastor  to  a  new  member.  And  the  artist 
recognized  the  Master's  call  to  labor,  and  his  heart  answered, 
"  Here  am  I,  Lord ;  "  and  from  that  hour  the  Sunday-school 
was  the  fortunate  possessor  of  consecrated  ability,  displayed 
in  the  matter  of  exquisitely  beautiful  blackboard  illustrations 
done  in  colored  crayons.  "  He  spends  the  whole  of  every  Sun- 
day afternoon  in  the  exhaustive  study  of  the  lesson.  When 
he  has  it  all  by  heart,  he  makes  a  pencil  sketch  of  the  design 
of  the  picture  that  he  means  to  furnish  us  with  on  the  follow- 
ing Sunday.  The  first  fresh  hours  of  each  morning  of  the 
week  he  gives  to  the  work  of  drawing  and  coloring  the  large 
blackboard  illustration  so  prized  by  our  school ;  and  he  adds 
the  last  loving,  finishing  touches  to  the  whole  on  Sunday,  just 
before  bringing  it  up  to  the  school." 

Usually  a  simple  outline  sketch  or  word  exercise  would  be 
better  than  such  a  picture,  but  if  God  gives  you  an  artist,  use 
him.  Why  not  have  a  picture  for  the  school  on  the  black- 
board as  well  as  on  the  wall  ?  We  cannot,  however,  empha- 
size too  strongly  the  fact  that  object-lessons  and  blackboard 
exercises  should,  as  a  rule,  be  very  simple,  lest  the  means  by 
which  we  teach  shall  draw  the  attention  from  the  truth  to  be 
taught.     When  Moses  and  Elias,  on  the  Mount   of  Transfig- 


24        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

uration,  divided  and  diverted  the  attention  of  the  apostles 
from  Christ,  they  were  removed  from  eight,  and  the  apostles 
c*  saw  no  man  save  Jesus  only."  Let  the  object-lessons  van- 
ish if  they  divert  the  eye  from  Jesus  ;  let  the  blackboard  fall, 
like  Peter,  James,  and  John,  to  the  ground,  if  it  stands  be- 
tween the  scholars'  hearts  and  Christ.  Amid  all  these  helps 
let  the  Sunday-school  "  hear  Him  "  above  all  other  voices. 

What  shall  Give  us  Themes  for  Eye-Teaching  ? 

Three  things  should  usually  have  weight  in  selecting  a  map, 
story,  or  object-lesson,  or  in  making  a  blackboard  exercise  : 
1.  The  lesson  of  the  school  or  class;  2.  The  events  of  the 
day  ;  3,  The  time  of  the  year.  While  the  lesson  should  usu- 
ally be  the  center  of  the  eye-teaching,  yet,  at  times,  striking 
and  special  events  of  the  day  or  the  season  of  the  year  may 
suggest  other  themes  that  will  be  impressive.  If  there  is  a 
temperance  excitement,  exercises  on  temperance  might  for  a 
day  be  better  than  an  exercise  on  the  subject  of  the  lesson. 
So  in  time  of  flowers,  fruits,  or  autumn  leaves,  the  season 
rather  than  the  lesson  may  give  the  eye-teacher  his  theme. 

Divisions  of  Eye-Teaching. 

Taking  the  subject  in  a  comprehensive  view,  we  make  the 
following  divisions : 

I.  Vivid    Description    and    Alle-  4.  Syllable  Exercise. 

gories.  5.  Word  Exercise. 

II.  Stories  Vividly  Told.  6.  Phrase  Exercise. 

III.  Stories  Represented.  7.  Table  Exercise. 

IV.  Religious  Object-Teaching.  8.  Acrostic  Exercise. 

V.  Map-Teaching.  9.  Parallel  and  Contrast  Exerciso. 

VI.  Picture-Teaching.  10.  Canceling  Exercise. 

VII.  Blackboard  Exercises.  11.  Erasing  Exercise. 

1.  Motto  Exercise.  12.  Word-Symbol  Exercise. 

2.  Topic  Exercise.  13.  Map  Kxercise. 

3.  Initial  Exercise.  14.  Outline  Exercise. 


THROUGH  THE   EYE  £0  THE   fiEART.  25 

I.  Vivid  Description  and  Allegories. 

"The  imagination  is  second  to  no  other  faculty  in  the 
human  mind  in  understanding  God's  word.  An  illustration 
is  only  an  appeal  to  the  imagination.  Imagination  is  that 
faculty  which  sees  the  hidden  truths.  It  stands  before  the 
violet  and  sees  humility.  It  looks  up  at  the  sun  and  sees 
truth.  When  we  have  to  teach  the  children  so  much  that  can- 
not be  seen,  the  best  way  is  to  bring  them  up  to  the  truth 
by  things  which  appeal  to  the  imagination."* 

"The  Bible  is  not  a  system  of  theology;  still  less  is  it  a 
creed  ;  but  it  is  a  succession  of  vivid  pictures — a  true  his- 
tory of  Hying,  thinking  human  beings  and  of  God's  deal- 
ings with  them.  Some  have  said  that  Sunday-school  teach- 
ers should  not  teach  geography,  history,  manners  and  cus- 
toms, but  only  the  Gospel.  Without  these  things  there  is 
no  Gospel.  It  is  impossible  to  understand  God's  dealings 
with  any  man  in  the  Bible  without  knowing  all  about  that 
man's  manner  of  life  and  surroundings.  We  must  be  able 
to  see  Abraham  sitting  at  the  door  of  his  tent,  with  his 
white  hair  and  beard.  We  must  know  him  as  neither  more 
nor  less  than  an  Arab  sheik,  with  the  intellect  of  a  child, 
and  less  knowledge  than  one  of  our  Sunday-school  children. 
We  shall  then,  and  then  only,  be  able  to  understand  God's 
dealings  with  him,  and  what  he  accomplished  by  him."  f 

A  scene  may  be  described  with  the  vividness  of  an  eye- 
witness if  it  has  been  carefully  studied  with  the  aid  of  books 
and  pictures.  Judge  Jay,  of  Ohio,  in  company  at  Washing- 
ton, conversing  with  a  lady  who  had  traveled  in  Scotland, 
was  remarking  on  objects  of  interest  in  that  country.  The 
judge  described  Arthur's  Seat,  the  Carleton  Hills,  and  other 
places  so  minutely  and  graphically,  that  the  lady  said  to  him, 
" When  did  you  visit  Scotland?"  He  said,  "Never:'  "How 
then  can  you  describe  its  places  so  vividly?"  He  replied, 
"  I  have  studied  them  carefully  in  pictures  and  descriptions." 
*Rev.  S.  H.  Tyng,  Jun.,  D.D.  +Rev.  Dr.  Duryea. 


26        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


The  scenes  of  the  Bible,  if  vividly  described  from  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  and  sympathy  with  the  circumstances,  form 
a  picture,  a  drama,  that  may  properly  be  classed  as  eye-teach- 
ing. If  the  teacher  is  talking  about  Paul  on  Mars'  Hill,  let 
the  surrounding  scenes  be  so  described  that  the  scholar  can 
put  himself  in  Paul's  place  and  make  the  scene  real.  Let  the 
doctrines  of  the  Epicureans  and  Stoics  be  so  distinctly  de- 
scribed that  the  application  of  every  sentence  shall  be  felt. 
If  the  Good  Samaritan  be  the  subject,  let  the  teachers  make 
the  scholars  feel  the  very  shadow  of  the  rocks  on  that  danger- 
ous way,  and  the  moisture  of  the  cloth  with  which  the  blood 
is  wiped  from  the  arms  of  the  man  left  half  dead.  The  Epis- 
tle to  the  Corinthians  may  be  made  as  beautiful  to  the  eye  as 
a  temple  by  a  thorough  understanding  of  the  architecture  of 
Ephesus,/rom  which  Paul  wrote,  and  of  Corinth,  to  which 
he  wrote. 

In  fact,  whatever  the  lesson  may  be,  if  all  the  geographical 
and  historical  knowledge  connected  with  it  is  clustered  around 
it  there  will  be  a  picturesqueness  and  vividness  that  will  add 
greatly  to  its  power.  Take  the  following  illustration  of  this 
kind  of  description  on  the  subject  of  feeding  the  multitude  : 

The  incident  has  its  lesson  for  the  pews  as  well  as  its  en- 
couragement for  the  pulpit.  Christ  might  have  scattered 
this  heavenly  manna,  as  of  old,  by  the  same  miraculous  power 
that  multiplied  it.  He  chose  rather  to  use  human  agency, 
and  "gave  it  to  the  disciples,  and  they  gave  it  to  the  multi- 
tude." There  was  a  great  variety  of  tastes,  talents,  and  dis- 
positions among  the  disciples;  but  Christ  used  them  all,  not 
merely  to  distribute  the  bread,  but  also  to  impress  its  lesson. 
There  was  the  loving  John,  the  impulsive  Peter,  the  doubting 
Thomas,  the  systematic  Matthew,  the  law-loving  James,  and 
the  others,  each  with  some  trait  of  character  peculiarly  his 
own.  Sometimes,  as  I  have  thought  of  this  incident,  I  have 
imagined  the  different  feelings  with  which  the  disciples  re- 


THROUGH  THE  EtfE  TO  THE  HEART.        27 

ceived  the  bread  and  thought  of  the  miracle.  John,  as  he 
took  the  loaves,  would  stand  and  look  with  his  deep,  loving 
eyes  upon  Jesus,  almost  forgetting  the  multitude  as  he  gazed, 
"  lost  in  wonder,  love,  and  praise,"  upon  his  Master.  Impul- 
sive Peter  would  seize  the  loaves  eagerly  and  hurry  about, 
scattering  them  hastily  among  the  multitude,  and,  with  his 
emphasis  and  love  of  prophecy,  proclaiming  on  every  hand 
that  they  saw  the  promise  fulfilled,  "  He  shall  feed  his  flock 
like  a  shepherd."  James,  with  his  love  of  the  old  law,  would 
remind  the  people,  as  he  scattered  the  bread,  that  the  same 
power  that  fed  their  fathers  in  the  wilderness  was  feeding 
them  on  the  shores  of  Galilee.  Systematic  Matthew  would 
remind  the  people  how  greatly  the  loaves  had  been  multiplied 
and  how  many  had  been  fed  ;  while  Thomas,  as  he  took  the 
bread  from  Jesus,  would  press  his  thumbs  into  the  loaves  that 
he  might  be  assured  he  was  not  dreaming,  and  that  he  did 
not  hold  a  phantom  in  his  hand,  meanwhile  glancing  cautiously 
at  the  Master,  and  whispering  to  his  nearest  friend,  "  What 
manner  of  man  is  this  ?  " 

Christ  used  all  these  various  talents  to  get  the  bread  and 
its  lesson  to  the  multitude ;  and  so  to-day  the  bread  which  is 
given  to  you  with  Christ's  blessing  from  the  written  Word, 
the  Spirit,  and  the  Gospel  ministry,  God  expects  you  to 
scatter  among  the  multitude  in  your  daily  walks,  around 
your  firesides,  along  your  waysides,  and  in  your  places  of 
business. 

"  Give  ye  them  to  eat." 

The  sermons  of  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmage  abound  in  ex- 
amples of  vivid  description  of  Bible  scenes,  and  may  profitably 
be  studied  by  teachers  as  models  in  this  respect. 

The  plan  of  representing  abstract  truths  in  concrete  forms, 
and  personifying  the  ideal,  so  beautifully  illustrated  by  the 
parables  of  our  Lord,  and  also  by  the  fables  of  zEsop  and  the 
allegories  of  Bunyan  and  others,  may  often  be  used  to  great 
advantage  by  the  Sunday-school  teacher.  Dr.  Eggleston  once 
told  a  company  of  children  of  a  house  that  a  king  had  built 


28        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  tUE  HEART. 

with  two  beautiful  windows,  two  wonderful  servants,  etc.,  to 
which  that  king  sent  his  son,  and  the  man  who  lived  in  the 
king's  house  refused  to  let  him  in ;  in  short,  making  the  human 
body  and  soul  an  allegorical  house,  and  describing  it  in  such 
a  way  that  the  children  could  surmise,  before  he  finished  the 
description,  that  he  was  talking  of  them  and  Christ's  coming 
for  admittance  to  their  hearts. 

Gifts  from  a  Casket. — [This  exercise,  contributed  by 
Rev.  W.  E.  Huntington,  shows  very  well  how  abstract  truth 
may  be  presented  in  an  attractive  verbal  form.]  A  speaker 
addressing  a  body  of  children  desires  to  talk  of  some  of  the 
virtues  and  graces  that>  should  adorn  character.  Let  him 
tell  the  children  he  has  some  gifts  to  distribute  to  them.  He 
has  a  ring  for  each  finger  on  both  hands.  Then,  holding  up 
the  first  finger  of  his  left  hand,  let  him  .call  the  ring  for  that 
finger  Obedience,  for  example,  and  ask  the  children  to  repeat 
the  word  in  unison.  A  story  may  be  told  illustrative  of  tins 
virtue.  And  so  on  for  each  finger  of  both  hands.  This  list 
may  be  used  for  the  rings :  Obedience,  Truthfulness,  Cour- 
tesy, Kindness,  Cheerfulness,  Humility,  Temperance,  Love. 
Calling  these  virtues  rings,  and  slipping  them  upon  their 
fingers,  in  imagination,  will  prove  to  be  the  best  way  of  fasten- 
ing the  lessons  to  be  taught  upon  the  memories  of  child rer. 
Their  attention  may  be  held  more  closely  by  frequently  ask- 
ing them  to  repeat  the  names  of  the  rings  in  concert,  follow- 
ing the  order  in  which  they  have  been  given.  Then,  as  they 
will  want  to  show  these  gifts  to  their  friends,  they  must 
have  sandals  upon  their  feet.  Call  these  sandals  Courage. 
Let  them  repeat  this  word  in  a  full,  clear  voice.  Show  how 
without  these  sandals  it  would  be  useless  to  try  to  wear 
some  of  the  rings — Obedience  and  Temperance,  for  instanee. 
Then  give  them  a  girdle  of  Christlikeness,  showing  how, 
as  a  girdle  binds  the  garments  closely  about  one,  that  he 
may  run  or  work  well,  so  Christlikeness  is  a  comprehensive 
quality  of  character  that  will  enable  us  to  live  well.     Lastly, 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.         29 

place  the  crown  of  Faith  upon  their  heads.  Speak  of  faith  as 
the  highest  ornament  of  character.  It  links  us  to  God,  and 
therefore  ought  to  be  placed  above  all  others,  as  a  crowning 
grace.  Then  let  the  names  of  the  rings,  of  the  sandals,  of  the 
girdle,  of  the  crown,  be  repeated  in  concert,  and  the  speaker 
may  close  by  telling  his  audience  of  little  hearers  that  these 
ornaments  are  of  finer  stuff  than  silver  or  gold,  and  will 
not  wear  out  nor  tarnish  by  wearing  them  every  day,  but 
will  only  grow  brighter  by  use,  and  that  they  come  from 
God's  casket  of  jewels — the  Bible* 

II. — STORIES  VIVIDLY    TOLD. 

The  great  teachers  of  the  race  are  those  who  have  clothed 
truth  in  stories  of  some  kind.  iEsop,  Bunyan,  Beecher, 
Spurgeon,  and  a  host  of  others,  are  examples  of  this  class. 
A  man  gave  to  Christ,  as  he  thought,  a  troublesome  question, 
"  Who  is  my  neighbor  ?  "  It  was  answered  vividly  with  the 
story  of  the  good  Samaritan. 

Jews  regarded  with  scorn  the  "  publicans  and  sinners " 
that  had  accepted  Christ.  Jesus  taught  them  their  duty  by 
the  prodigal's  story.  Ralph  Wells  writes :  "  I  asked  a  young 
woman  upon  the  street,  c  What  portion  of  the  Scripture  did 
you  the  most  good?'  She  replied,  'That  which  does  all 
men  good,  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son.  It  is  so  pleasant, 
so  plain!  There  stands  the  father  with  outstretched  arms. 
It  is  wonderful,  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  sinner  !' " 
Stories  vividly  told,  put  on  as  a  garment,  are  a  part  of  eye- 
teaching.  The  teacher  should  be  amply  supplied  with  them. 
"Where  will   you  go   to-day V"  said  a  mother  to  her  little 

*  The  author  has  heard  the  writer  of  the  above  form  a  group  of  allegorical 
statuary  of  the  virtues:  Yal or,  as  a  true  soldier,  first  set  up,  and  then 
Knowledge,  as  a  true  scholar ;  Temperance,  as  a  man  of  strength  and  health 
and  manliness ;  and  so,  following  with  Patience,  Brotherly-Kindness,  Faith, 
and  Love,  making  them  seem  like  a  group  of  statues  upon  the  platform 
around  him  as  he  described  their  characteristics,  and  giving  some  incident 
illustrative  of  each  one  after  describing  it 


30        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

girl,  "  to  Aunt  Mary's  or  Aunt  Jane's?"  She  replied,  u I  will 
go  to  see  Aunt  Jane,  for  she  always  has  plenty  of  ginger 
snaps  and  keeps  them  on  the  lowest  shelf."  The  teacher 
should  have  plenty  of  stories  and  "  keep  them  on  the  low- 
est shelf,"  so  that  children  can  understand  them ;  a  note-book 
and  pencil  always  with  him  and  a  scrap-book  at  home  will 
easily  gather  the  "  snaps." 

This  is  good  advice  from  a  teacher:  "Use  the  pen- 
cil. It  is  easy  to  carry.  It  aids  the  memory.  It  catches 
and  keeps  a  thousand  flitting  thoughts.  Carry  a  small 
blank  book.  If  you  see  a  fact  or  think  a  thought  that 
may  be  of  any  possible  use  in  the  future  take  note  of 
it.  You  may  not  now  see  of  what  service  it  can  be,  but 
when  interested  in  a  lesson  you  may  glance  over  the  pen- 
ciled jottings  and  find  one,  two,  ten  helpful  illustrations 
or  allusions,  the  worth  of  which,  in  the  exposition  of 
your  subject,  may  be  invaluable.  One  fact  a  day  thus 
taken  into  captivity  will  register  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
five  a  year — so  many  servitors  in  your  work.  Use  the 
pencil." 

Henry  Clay  Trumbull  writes  these  excellent  words  about 
telling  Bible  stories  vividly :  "  It  has  been  urged  by  some 
earnest  Sunday-school  writer  that  children  should  never  be 
trapped  into  hearing  a  Bible  story,  by  its  recital  in  homely 
language,  as  if  it  were  from  another  source  than  the  Book  of 
God.  But  there  are  two  sides  to  even  that  question.  If  a 
child  is  disinclined  to  hear  Bible  stories,  it  is  not  fair  to  as- 
sume you  are  telling  him  something  else  when  he  is  sure  to 
find  at  the  close  that  you  have  palmed  off  one  of  the  obnox- 
ious narratives  in  another  garb.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  em- 
inently desirable  to  so  clothe  the  Bible  history  to  children  as 
to  give  to  the  persons  and  incidents  thereof  a  naturalness 
and  reality  that  is  not  secured  to  little  folks  through  the 
somewhat  obsolete  forms  of  our  common  English  version. 
What  would  oe  wrong  for  purposes  of  deception  is  quite 
proper  for  the  purpose  of  elucidation. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        31 

"  An  incident  in  ray  own  experience  confirms  ray  opinion  on 
this  point.  I  well  recall  the  time  when  I  had  far  more  rever- 
ence for  than  understanding  of  the  Bible.  Scripture  charac- 
ters were  to  me  not  only  mythical  but  unintelligible.  The 
difference  between  Genesis  and  Euroclydon  was  by  no  means 
clear  to  my  mind.  I  did  not  know  who  Deuteronomy  was, 
nor  what  was  Jehoshaphat.  The  first  dawn  of  clear  day 
came  in  this  way.  My  home  was  by  the  sea-side,  where 
figures  of  sailor  life  were  familiar  to  all.  One  afternoon  a 
good  man  came  to  our  Sabbath-school  gathering,  and,  enter- 
ing the  desk  by  request  of  the  superintendent,  commenced 
to  tell  a  story.  He  described  a  sea-shore  scene,  with  a  ves- 
sel in  the  offing  weighing  anchor  and  loosing  sail  for  a  voy- 
age. Vividly,  in  word  painting,  he  showed  a  boat  putting 
off  from  the  dock,  bringing  at  the  last  moment  a  passenger 
for  the  trip,  his  clambering  on  to  the  dock,  the  start  of  the 
vessel,  its  progress,  a  gathering  storm,  danger  on  the  deep, 
the  fright  of  passengers  and  crew,  a  consultation,  and  the 
confession  of  the  late-coming  passenger  that  he  was  a  fugi- 
tive pursued  of  God  for  his  sin,  hence  the  storm  and  the  peril 
to  all.  O  how  well  I  remember  the  new  light  that  burst  into 
my  mind  when  I  then  recognized  the  hitherto  unreal  story  of 
Jonah  as  a  living  verity  !  I  felt  as  did  the  boy  who  at  last 
saw  Lafayette  through  the  carriage  window,  and  called  out 
in  amazement,  '  Why,  he's  only  a  man  ! '  c  Jonah '  had  been 
Jonah  to  me  until  that  hour.  Now  he  was  a  man.  '  Joppa ' 
had  been  Joppa.  Now  it  was  a  sea-port  town.  My  little 
brain  was  almost  bewildered  with  the  discovery  that  the 
Bible  had  something  in  it  that  I  could  understand  ;  but  the 
vail  of  mystery  that  had  enwrapped  it  until  then  went  over- 
board with  Jonah  when  that  Sunday-school  speaker  had  him 
thrown  into  the  sea  in  the  story.  The  entrance  of  God's 
words  gave  me  light  just  as  soon  as  those  words  were  so 
stated  that  they  could  enter  my  child-mind.  I  am  confident  that 
I  should  not  have  been  so  profited  at  that  time  had  the  nar- 
rator announced  in  commencing  that  he  was  to  tell  us  a  Bible 


32        THKOUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

etory.  His  course  may,  I  think,  be  safely  commended  to 
many  a  teacher  of  the  young. 

"At  the  Newsboys'  Lodging  House  in  New  York,  ten  years 
ago,  I  heard  Mr.  Tracy,  the  then  Superintendent,  entrap,  as 
some  might  call  it,  his  motley  audience  into  hearing  a  Bible 
story  when  they  would  not  have  listened  quietly  to  his  rev- 
erent reading  of  the  sacred  narrative.  Commencing  the  par- 
able of  the  prodigal  son,  he  told  it  in  what  would  have  seemed 
slang  phrase  to  others,  but  in  language  which  was  really  the 
vernacular  of  those  boys.  He  held  their  fixed  attention  as  he 
proceeded,  and  when  their  interest  was  most  intense  he  said 
suddenly  : 

"  But,  boys,  this  story  is  all  written  out  in  a  book  I  have 
here.  Let  me  read  you  the  rest  of  it.5  And  he  opened  the 
Bible  and  continued  the  narration,  reading  and  explaining 
or  translating  by  turn.  Who  shall  say  he  was  irreverent,  or 
caused  his  hearers  to  be  ?  " 


III. — STORIES    REPRESENTED. 

Stories  that  are  read  may  sometimes  be  a  little  vivified  by 
using  or  showing  something  mentioned  in  the  story.  In  tell- 
ing the  story  of  Joseph  when  he  sent  the  message  to  Jacob, 
a  piece  of  brown  paper  (which  will  represent  parchment) 
may  be  cut  into  a  foot  square  and  rolled  up  as  a  Jewish 
scroll,  with  this  letter  written  upon  it,  to  be  read  after  the 
scroll  is  described  and  the  circumstances  narrated — Gen. 
xlv,  9,  etc.  : 

Egypt,  1706. 

Jacob  Israel, — Thus  saith  thy  son  Joseph:  I  am  yet 
alive.  Come  down  tome;  tarry  not;  and  thou  shalt  be  mar 
to  me,  and  I  will  nourish  thee. 

Joseph,  Lord  of  all  Egypt. 

This  letter  should  be  written  with  the  lines  slanting  very 
jmuch,  as  the  slant  in  Jewish  letters  indicates  love. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  fO   THE  HEART.        33 

With  this  story  of  Joseph  the  passage  from  Revelation 
may  be  read  :  "  Fear  not :  I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead, 
and  behold,  I  am  alive  for  evermore."  This  may  be  used  to 
show  that  Joseph  was  not  dead,  although  unseen  ;  so  Christ 
is  not  dead,  but  "  ever  lives  above."  Other  analogies  may 
also  be  brought  out — for  example,  the  Lord  is  our  Shepherd, 
and  has  also  become  a  King,  and  we  "  shall  not  want." 

The  stories  of  the  Bible  can  often  be  told  with  some  East- 
ern or  missionary  relic  to  illustrate  them,  or  something  re- 
sembling objects  mentioned  in  the  accounts  :  the  parable  of 
the  vineyard  with  a  bunch  of  grapes,  Joseph's  dream  with 
a  handful  of  wheat,  Stephen's  death  with  a  pile  of  stones, 
Joseph  sold  for  twenty  pieces  of  silver  with  a  handful  of 
coin,  the  tribute  money  scene  with  a  pie.ce  of  money,  etc.  A 
preacher,  in  speaking  about  the  heathen,  took  a  heathen  god 
from  his  pocket  and  intensified  his  words  by  bringing  the 
simple  object  into  his  story  at  the  right  time.* 

IV. — RELIGIOUS    OBJECT-TEACHING. 

We  shall  try  to  answer  five  questions  that  are  often  asked 
in  regard  to  object-teaching  in  the  Sunday-school:  1.  What 
is  religious  object-teaching?  2.  Why  should  it  be  used? 
3.  WJien  should  it  be  used  ?  4.  Where  shall  we  obtain  ob- 
jects ?  and,  5.  How  shall  we  use  them  ? 

What  is  religious  object-teaching  f  We  can  most  readily 
show  what  it  is  by  comparing  it  with  the  well-known  object- 
teaching  of  our  best  day-schools. 

In  the  day-school  an  object  is  presented  to  the  eye — a  leaf, 
a  flower,  a  mineral,  a  fossil,  or  a  bone — to  be  studied  for  its 
own  sake,  and  the  lesson  is  perfect  only  when  every  quality  t 

*  Rev.  J.  S.  Ostrauder  has  prepared  a  box  of  "  Oriental  Block  Models  " 
that  enable  the  teacher  to  give  at  once  a  cheap,  accurate,  and  vivid  repre- 
sentation, in  their  real  forms,  of  the  tabernacle,  temple,  Jewish  house, 
wiue-press,  and  other  specimens  of  Bible  architecture.  Any  part  of  the 
Bible  that  has  architectural  references  may  be  most  effectively  illustrated  by 
vhis  ingenious  arrangement. 

a 


34        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

and  attribute  of  the  object  is  known.  In  the  Sunday-school, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  object,  although  it  may  be  any  of 
those  mentioned  above,  is  studied  as  a  symbol,  a  suggestion, 
a  picture  of  some  thought  or  idea  far  above  itself,  and  the 
lesson  is  perfect  when  the  attention  is  secured  by  the  object, 
and  the  one  or  two  qualities  that  may  illustrate  the  thought 
which  is  being  presented  are  understood. 

We  may  illustrate  the  day-school  object-teaching  by  a  rec- 
itation at  Dotiieboy's  Hall  : 

This  is  the  first  class  in  English  spelling  and  philosophy, 
J^ickleby,'  said  Squeers,  beckoning  Nicholas  to  stand  beside 
him.     c  Now,  then,  where' s  the  first  boy  ?  ' 

" c  Please,  sir,  he's  cleaning  the  back  parlor  window,'  said 
the  temporary  head  of  the  philosophical  class. 

" '  So  he  is,  to  be  sure,'  rejoined  Squeers.  c  We  go  upon  the 
practical  mode  of  teaching,  Nickleby ;  the  regular  education 
system:  c-1-e-a-n,  clean,  verb  active,  to  make  bright,  to  scour. 
W-i-n,  win, d-e-r,  der,  winder,  a  casement.  When  the  boy  knows 
this  out  of  a  book  he  goes  and  does  it.  It's  just  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  the  use  of  the  globes.     Where's  the  second  boy  ?  ' 

"  '  Please,  sir,  he's  weeding  the  garden,'  replied  a  small 
voice. 

" t  To  be  sure,'  said  Squeers,  by  no  means  disconcerted.  '  So 
he  is.  B-o-t,  bot,  t-i-n,  tin,  bottin,  n-e-y,  ney,  bottinney,  noun 
substantive,  a  knowledge  of  plants.  When  he  has  learned 
that  bottinney  means  a  knowledge  of  plants  he  goes  and  knows 
'em.     That's  our  system,  Nickleby.' " 

Although  we  should  hardly  give  this  as  a  model  lesson, 
yet  it  illustrates  the  great  characteristics  of  object-teaching 
in  day-schools.  The  lesson  is  perfect  when  all  the  qualities  of 
the  weeds  and  the  ''winder"  are  ascertained.  When  the 
scholar  "goes  and  knows  'em"  they  lead  to  nothing  further. 
Religious  object-teaching  would  lead  us  to  look  through 
the  <4  winder 'V  to  something  greater  beyond ;  it  would  point 
us  below  the  roots  and  above  the  blossoms  of  the  plants  to 
the  Hand  that  made  them. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        35 

The  following  will  exactly  illustrate  the  point  we  have  just 
mentioned.  A  boy  brought  home  to  his  father  the  teacher's 
report  of  l?is  standing,  which  proved  to  be  much  below  his 
usual  mark.  The  father  asked  him  why  it  was,  and  he  replied 
that  he  didn't  know.  The  father  knew,  however,  for  he 
had  noticed  yellow-covered  novels  lying  about  the  house  dur- 
ing the  few  days  previous.  He  turned  to  his  son  and  said, 
"  Empty  that  basket  full  of  apples  upon  the  floor,  and  then  go 
out  and  fill  the  basket  half  full  of  chips." 

The  son,  not  suspecting  any  thing,  obeyed.  When  he  had 
brought  the  basket  half  full  of  chips  the  father  said,  "Now 
put  back  those  apples  into  the  basket."  After  half  of  them 
had  been  put  in  they  began  to  roll  off.  "Pot  them  all  in; 
put  them  in,"  said  the  father  sternly. 

"I  cannot,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Of  course  you  cannot,"  said  the  father.  "  You  said  you 
did  not  know  why  you  had  fallen  off  in  standing.  Of  course, 
you  cannot  fill  your  mind  with  useful  knowledge  after  get- 
ting it  half  full  of  that  yellow-covered  trash  you  have  been 
reading." 

The  boy  blushed  and  went  away,  but  never  afterward 
touched  one  of  those  novels.  In  this  object-lesson  it  would 
have  been  a  waste  of  time  and  an  injury  to  the  lesson  to  have 
had  the  boy  notice  any  further  qualities  about  chips  than  the 
fact  that  they  occupied  the  room  which  belonged  to  more 
valuable  articles.  When  the  object  shown  in  Sunday-school 
is  so  used  as  to  make  it  more  prominent  than  the  truth  to  be 
taught,  it  is  exalting  a  "chip  "  above  a  moral  precept.  As 
much  as  a  flag  is  less  than  the  loyalty  it  represents,  so  much 
less  than  the  truth  presented  should  the  object  appear.  The 
highest*  quality  of  an  object  used  in  Sunday-school  teaching 
is  that  it  should  be  a  perfect  mirror,  itself  almost  unnoticed, 
while  reflecting  some  great  idea. 

I  passed  a  calm,  still  lake  one  starlight  night,  and  beneath 
its  motionless  surface  there  seemed  to  be  "  new  heavens,"  the 
stars  were  so  perfectly  reflected   in  its  watery  depths,   the 


36        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  UEAttT. 

evening  star  shining  brightest  of  all.  So  the  religious  object- 
lesson  should  reflect  heavenly  things,  the  Star  of  Bethlehem 
always  being  most  prominent  in  its  teachings  and  suggestions. 

2.  Why  should  object-teaching  be  used  in  the  Sunday-school  f 
For  the  answer  to  this  question  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
first  pages  of  this  book. 

3.  When  should  object-lessons  be  used?  (1.)  Frequently,  as 
the  Saviour  used  them,  lest  they  shall  attract  too  much  atten- 
tion because  of  their  novelty,  and  because  almost  every  les 
son  maybe  made  more  interesting  at  some  point  by  their  use. 
(2.)  Only  when  they  may  be  introduced  naturally  to  help  the 
truth;  never  as  a  "side  exhibition  "  attached  to  the  truth 
rather  than  an  incidental  illustration  of  it. 

The  younger  the  scholars,  the  more  frequently  should  ob- 
ject-lessons be  used. 

But,  4.  Where  shall  we  get  object-lessons  ?  Generally,  not 
from  the  books  and  magazines.  The  model  exercises  given  in 
institutes,  books,  and  papers  should  be  read  for  the  sugges- 
tions and  principles  they  contain,  instead  of  being  literally 
followed.  David  in  Goliath's  hat  or  Saul's  armor  would  not 
be  more  awkward  than  a  teacher  often  becomes  in  trying  to 
use,  without  modification,  the  object-lesson  of  another. 

The  "How,"  not  the  "What,"  should  be  the  question  in 
our  minds  as  we  study  the  object-lessons  of  others. 

For  finding  object-lessons  "  the  field  is  the  world."  The 
good  teacher  transforms  every  phase  of  life  into  an  illustra- 
tion. As  the  delicate  plate  of  the  photographer  catches  a  pict- 
ure of  whatever  is  before  it,  so  the  teacher  who  has  put  his 
mind  into  the  illustrative  mood  catches  illustrations  from  every 
passing  event. 

Briefly  and  rapidly  it  may  be  shown  how  fertile  in"  object- 
lessons  are  the  fields  in  which  we  all  walk,  how  abundant  are 
the  lessons  within  "  arm's  length"  of  every  day  life.  Sitting 
in  my  study  this  very  afternoon,  let  me  see  how  many  ob- 
ject-lessons may  be  found  without  leaving  the  room:  First, 
I   will   search   myself.    In   my  breast  pocket   I  find  a  letter 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        37 

from  one  of  our  Sunday-school  editors  promising  me  a  sum 
of  money.  The  promise  would  be  of  no  value  unless  it  had 
a  name  I  could  trust  signed  to  it.  This  letter,  then,  maybe 
used  as  an  object-lesson  to  show  why  we  trust  in  the  prom- 
ises of  the  Bible  :  it  is  because  the  name  of  Jesus  is  signed 
to  them. 

In  the  same  pocket  is  my  Berean  D  ay-Book,  with  a  space 
for  every  day  in  the  year.  The  future  days  are  blank,  the 
past  days  not  used  as  well  as  they  should  have  been. 
This  object  will  illustrate  the  Book  of  Remembrance,  (see 
Appendix.)  In  my  vest  pocket  is  a  watch.  It  may  be  used 
as  indicated  in  Appendix.  From  my  pocket  I  take  a  hand- 
ful of  coin.  It  maybe  used  to  illustrate  the  story  of  Joseph 
sold  into  slavery,  of  Christ  sold  by  Judas,  or  any  other  inci 
dent  of  Bible  history  where  money  is  mentioned.  On  this 
two  cent  piece  is  the  motto  "  In  God  we  trust,"  a  good  object 
and  text  for  a  talk  on  God's  care  of  our  country.  I  take  out 
my  wallet.  Here  are  some  railroad  tickets.  The  name  of  the 
superintendent  signed  to  them  gives  me  a  passport  from  one 
place  to  another.  So  the  name  of  Jesus  gives  us  a  passport 
to  heaven. 

This  counterfeit  currency  and  this  counterfeit  bill  also 
suggest  lessons.  Sinful  pleasure  promises  to  pay  us  joy  "  six 
months  after  a  treaty  of  peace  "  between  our  consciences  and 
sin. 

This  life  insurance  receipt  will  illustrate  the  soul's  in- 
surance of  heavenly  life.  Then,  this  bunch  of  keys  is  an  ex- 
cellent illustration  of  God's  promises.  Starting  with  the 
story  of  "  The  Key  of  Promise,"  I  would  say  that  every  one 
of  the  promises  is  a  key  to  lock  in  some  treasure,  or  lock  out 
some  enemy,  or  unlock  some  store  of  heavenly  wealth.  This 
watch-key  suggests  the  promise  with  which  we  "  wind  up  " 
our  trust  every  day,  u  As  thy  days  so  shall  thy  strength  be." 
This  trunk  key  represents  the  traveler's  promise,  "  Lo,  I  am 
with  you  alway ; "  this  house  key,  "  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in 
perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  theej"   this  church 


38        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

key,  "  They  that  wait  on  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength." 
This  key  to  my  post-office  box  may  represent  the  promise  of 
prayer,  by  which  we  receive  God's  messages,  "  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  ask  in  my  name  I  will  do  it ; "  this  safe  key,  (if  I  had 
one,)  "There  is  that  scattereth  and  yet  increaseth ; "  this 
skeleton  key  that  will  unlock  the  church  door,  house  door, 
bed-room  door,  and  many  others,  the  promises  that  apply  to 
a  great  variety  of  cases :  "  The  Lord  will  provide  ; "  "  My 
grace  is  sufficient  for  thee."  My  body  may  be  used  as  an 
object-lesson  of  God's  wisdom,  for  we  are  all  "  wonderfully 
made ; "  or  it  may  be  used  allegorically,  as  in  Eccles.  xii. 

Turning  now  to  my  desk  and  its  contents,  this  white  paper 
is  an  object-lesson,  (see  illustration  in  "  Seed-Thought  for 
Object-Lessons.")  This  sheet  of  red  blotting  paper  may  il- 
lustrate the  promise  of  the  "crimson  made  white  as  wool." 
Formerly  men  could  not  whiten  crimson  rags ;  from  them 
therefore  they  must  make  paper  of  crimson  or  some  other  hue. 
But  Christ  can  make  the  crimson  stain  as  white  as  snow. 
Here  is  an  ink  bottle  labeled  "Ink,"  but  the  ink  is  no 
longer  there.  So  some  persons  bear  the  label  "  Christian  " 
when  the  Christlikeness  has  all  disappeared.  Here  is  my 
Bible.  It  maybe  used  as  indicated  in  "Stories  Represented." 
My  pocket  looking-glass,  which  I  have  just  taken  from  a 
pigeon-hole,  is  cracked,  and  therefore  makes  a  poor  reflection, 
as  our  professedly  Christian  hearts,  when  not  right  in  the 
sight  of  God,  reflect  Christ  imperfectly.  This  photograph 
of  Abraham  Lincoln  may  be  used  as  indicated  in  the  "Seed- 
Thought  for  Object-Lessons." 

These  four  crackers,  one  in  the  shape  of  a  diamond,  another 
a  cross,  another  a  star,  another  a  heart,  given  me  by  one  of 
my  little  friends,  were  too  sacred  to  eat,  and  so  here  they  are 
in  this  pigeon-hole.  In  bringing  them  home  the  stamp  of  the 
name  was  accidentally  broken  out  of  the  cross,  and  the 
heart,  which  had  no  name,  was  broken  on  one  side.  The 
star  and  diamond  crackers  were  perfect.  Let  me  try  to 
^et  a  sermon  out  of  these  by  questioning  my  little  friencl, 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        39 

Alice,  who  happens  to  be  in  my  study  for  a  few  minutes 
this  afternoon.  What  are  these  ?  "  Crackers."  What  do 
you  see  on  this  star  cracker  ?  "  Dots."  What  else  ?  u  Let- 
ters." What  do  you  think  the  letters  spell  ?  "  The  name 
of  the  man  that  made  it."  When  do  you  think  the  name 
was  stamped  on  it — when  it  was  soft,  or  after  it  was  baked  ? 
"  When  it  was  soft."  If  they  had  tried  to  stamp  it  when 
it  was  hard,  what  would  have  happened  ?  "  They  would 
break  it."  [Put  tne  cracker  out  of  sight.]  Whose  name 
ought  we  to  have  written  on  our  hearts  ?  "  Jesus's."  When 
ought  it  to  be  written  there — when  we  grow  old,  or  when  we 
are  children  ?  "  When  we  are  children."  When  is  it  easiest 
to  love  God  ?  "  When  we  are  children."  The  Bible  says 
if  we  are  good  we  shall  shine  as  the  stars.  [Show  star 
cracker.]  Now  repeat  with  me,  "  Shine  as  the  stars  for  ever 
and  ever."  Now,  you  see  this  cross  cracker  looks  bad  because 
the  name  is  broken  out.  We  must  never  lose  the  name  of 
Jesus  from  our  hearts.  And  this  heart  cracker  has  no  name. 
Could  we  stamp  a  name  on  it  now  ?  "  No  ;  it  would  break." 
How  sad  that  any  heart  should  not  have  a  Jesus  in  it! 
Christ  says  that  we  shall  be  his  in  the  day  that  he  makes  up 
his  jewels.  [Show  diamond  cracker.]  Jesus  loves  those  that 
he  saves  better  than  his  crown  or  his  throne.  They  are 
his  jewels.     [Incident  of  the  mother  of  the  Gracchi.] 

Here  beside  my  desk  is  a  large  calla  lily.  For  its  use 
see  "Seed-Thought  for  Object-Lessons."  In  the  vase  with 
it  are  some  apple  blossoms.  With  them  I  can  illustrate  the 
fostering  care  of  God  over  children,  bringing  them  up  to 
manhood  But  these  are  severed  from  the  tree  and  are  fading. 
I  might  use  them  to  illustrate  the  fifteenth  of  John.  Trailing 
over  my  bay  window  is  an  ivy  which  I  might  use  with  the 
same  questions  as  the  lesson  on  the  Vine  in  u  Seed-Thought 
for  Object-Lessons."  The  plants  in  my  hanging  basket  and 
flower  pots  can  be  used  with  the  story  of  "  The  Atheist  and 
the  Flower  "  in  "  Stories  Represented." 

These   pictures    on  my  wall — "  Bible  Trees,"  Belshazzar's 


4:0        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

Feast,"  "A  Flower  Scene,"  "The  Key  of  Promise  "—may  be 
used  for  picture  teaching;  also,  this  portfolio  of  sacred  pictures, 
cut  from  the  illustrated  papers  of  the  day.  I  have  not  ex- 
hausted the  list,  but  have  said  enough  to  show  how  abundant 
are  the  objects  within  reach  of  every  teacher. 

Toby  Yeck  listened  to  the  chimes  as  to  a  living  voice, 
and  little  Nell's  friend  heard  whispers  in  the  flames  of  his 
forge.  Shakspeare  heard  Ariels  in  the  breeze.  To  Byron 
"every  mountain  top  had  found  a  tongue."  To  Tennyson 
every  tree  is  a  u  talking  oak."  To  Longfellow,  "  the  voice- 
less lips  of  flowers  "  are  "  living  preachers."  Whittier  says 
that  "  such  music  as  the  woods  and  streams  sang  in  his  ear 
he  sang  aloud."  The  Sunday-school  teacher  needs  this  "open 
eye  and  ear,"  that  every  bell  and  flame  and  mountain-top  and 
tree  and  flower  and  stream  may  be  interpreted,  and  their 
God-sent  messages  understood.  Like  the  servant  of  the 
prophet,  if  our  eyes  were  opened  we  should  see  the  mount- 
ains and  fields  full  of  the  messages  of  God. 

To  the  writers  of  the  Bible  the  rolling  year  was  full  of 
object-lessons :  seed,  blooming  flowers,  harvests,  withered 
leaves,  "snow  like  morsels" — all  these  gave  subjects  for  spir- 
itual teaching.  So  relics  of  history,  the  serpent  in  the  wil- 
derness, the  budding  rod,  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire,  the 
temple  vessels,  etc.,  gave  them  frequent  object-lessons. 
They  found  in  wayside  walls,  vineyards,  kitchens,  shops, 
and  temples,  some  object  on  which  they  could  hang  the 
truth.  Like  them,  the  teacher  should  find  in  the  garden,  the 
fields,  and  the  home,  object-lessons  for  his  work.  For  young 
scholars  and  infant  departments  especially  objects  are  in- 
valuable. There  should  be  a  box  or  drawer  somewhere  in 
connection  with  the  school  in  which  missionary  relics,  historic 
trophies,  and  any  object  that  can  be  used  as  an  object-lesson, 
may  be  kept,  new  ones  being  constantly  added.  And  yet  the 
best  object-lessons  will  be  those  that  are  fresh  and  suggested 
by  the  present  need. 

5.  How  shall  object-lessons  be  prepared  and  taught?     \\\ 


>/rv 


V 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        41 


answering  this  most  important  question  there  are  three 
suggestions  for  the  preparation  and  four  for  the  teaching: 

Preparation:  (1.)  u Search  the  Scriptures"  by  means  of 
the  Concordance  and  other  helps  for  all  the  Scripture 
passages  that  may  in  any  way  be  connected  with  the  object. 

(2.)  The  attributes  and  uses  of  the  object  should  be  ascer- 
tained by  a  careful  analysis.  A  teacher  who  fails  to  do  this 
may  be  embarrassed  and  surprised  by  unexpected  develop- 
ments at  the  time  of  teaching.  A  true  story  is  told  of  a 
Roman  Catholic  priest,  who  some  years  ago  entered  a  pulpit 
in  Germany,  carrying  in  his  hand  a  walnut,  his  intention  be- 
ing to  use  it  as  an  illustration  of  what  he  was  about  to  say. 
Holding  up  the  little  nut  in  full  view  of  his  crowded  audi- 
ence, he  began,  in  a  loud  and  boasting  tone,  with,  "  My 
hearers,  the  shell  of  this  nut  is  tasteless  and  valueless:  that, 
my  friends,  was  Calvin's  Church.  The  skin  of  this  fruit  is 
nauseous,  disagreeable,  and  worthless :  that  represents  the 
Lutheran  Church.  And  now  I  will  show  you  the  holy  Ap- 
ostolic Church."  Suiting  his  action  to  his  words,  he  cracked 
the  nut,  and,  lo  and  behold  !  to  his  utter  chagrin  and  discom- 
fiture the  inside  contents  were  perfectly  decayed  and  rotten. 

(3.)  Study  the  analogies  between  the  object  shown  and  the 
truth  to  be  taught.  In  1  Kings  xxii,  11,  34,  35,  we  have  the 
case  of  an  object-lesson  that  sounded  very  well,  but  the 
analogy  failed  to  hold  good.  A  preacher,  using  hot  and  cold 
air  as  an  illustration,  said,  "  The  more  you  heat  the  air  in  a 
receiver  the  more  room  there  is  to  put  in  more  air."  An- 
other preacher  announced  as  his  text,  "  Thou  makest  my  feet 
like  hen's  feet,"  and  used  the  analogy  of  their  clinging  to 
the  roost  to  teach  the  duty  of  clinging  to  the  cross.  Such 
mistakes  may  usually  be  avoided  by  preparing  the  lesson 
before  attempting  to  teach  it. 

Teaching:  (1.)  By  means  of  careful  questions  get  the 
scholars  to  mention  the  qualities  of  the  object  as  far  as  they 
are  to  be  used.  A  teacher  should  expect  peculiar  answers 
3,t  times,  and  take  them  good-naturedly,  without  being  discon- 


42        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

certed.  A  reverend  gentleman  was  addressing  a  school  re- 
cently, and  was  trying  to  enforce  the  idea  that  the  hearts  of  the 
little  ones  were  sinful  and  needed  regulating.  Taking  his 
watch  and  holding  it  up,  he  said  :  "  Now,  here  is  my  watch  ; 
suppose  it  don't  keep  good  time — now  goes  too  fast,  and  now 
too  slow— what  shall  I  do  with  it?"  "Sell  it!"  shouted  a 
flaxen- headed  youngster. 

(2.)  Call  the  attention  of  the  class  to  the  Scripture  passages, 
and.  have  a  part  of  them,  at  least,  memorized. 

(3.)  By  questions  and  explanations  make  the  analogies 
between  the  object  and  the  truth  clear,  and  then  remove  the 
object  from  sight. 

Hartley,  in  his  u  Pictorial  Teaching,"  gives  an  amusing  ex- 
ample of  confounding  truth  with  an  illustration.  A  teacher 
was  one  day  explaining  to  a  class  of  girls  the  nature  of  faith, 
and  by  way  of  illustration  pointed  through  the  window  to  a 
boat  which  could  be  seen  upon  the  river.  "  Look,"  said  the 
teacher,  "  at  that  boat.  You  can  see  it,  can  you  not  ? " 
"Yes,"  said  the  scholars.  "Well,  if  I  were  to  tell  you  that 
there  was  a  mutton  pie  in  the  boat  under  the  seat,  would 
you  believe  me?"  "Certainly  we  should,"  they  replied. 
"  Well,"  said  the  teacher,  "  that  is  faith."  A  short  time 
afterward  the  teacher  was  again  talking  to  the  children  on  a 
similar  subject,  and,  asking  the  question,  "What  is  faith?" 
was  astonished  to  hear  the  reply,  "  Faith,  teacher,  is  a  mui- 
ton  pie  in  a  boat" 

(4.)  Impress  the  truth  deeply  upon  the  heart,  and  always 
close  with  personal  application  and  prayer.  One  should 
always  be  careful  that  the  truth  shall  reach  the  scholar's 
thoughts  more  deeply  than  the  object,  the  latter  ever  keep- 
ing its  place  as  a  forerunner  simply,  and  crying,  "  The  truth 
that  cometh  after  me  is  greater  than  I." 

Our  Boy's  Knife. — During  the  autumn  Harry  and  I 
were  in  the  woods  gathering  leaves.  Needing  a  knife,  I 
asked  Harry  for  his,  in  order  to  see  of  what  sort  it  was,  and 
at  the  same  time  learn  the  contents  of  our  boy's  pocket. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        43 

He  brought  out  first  a  piece  of  apple,  then  a  top  and  a 
few  bits  of  string,  several  marbles,  some  nails,  chalk,  candy, 
slate-pencils,  one  or  two  coppers,  a  piece  of  paper  carefully 
wrapped,  said  to  have  been  a  school-girl's  note,  and,  last  of 
all,  his  knife — an  article  indispensable  to  most  of  us,  and  for 
wh'ch  boys  have  a  special  longing.     This  was  its  condition. 


The  knife  was  useless  to  me,  although  our  boy  insisted  it 
answered  his  purpose  exceedingly  well. 

I  expressed  surprise.  Harry  confessed  that  he  traded 
knives,  and  he  could  "  come  it "  over  the  boys  first-rate  with 
that  knife. 

Shortly  after  I  asked  Harry  if  his  knife  would  not  be  a 
good  text  for  a  sermon.  He  thought  not,  but  promised  to 
listen  attentively  to  any  sermon  I  might  preach  from  such  a 
text. 

On  our  way  home  I  commenced:  First.  I  am  sorry 
that  our  boy  uses  his  knife  as  a  means  of  deception.  A  lie 
acted  is  as  great  a  sin  as  though  spoken ;  a  practice,  I  regret 
to  say,  common  to  much  older  boys  and  many  men.  Your 
knife  is  outwardly  attractive.  You  willfully  conceal  its  im- 
perfections, and  thus  obtain  goods  under  false  pretenses. 
The  same  principle  was  put  into  practice  by  the  "  ring" 
thieves  in  New  York.  Many  merchants  put  false  labels  on 
their  goods,  or  cover  up  the  defects  of  a  poor  article  by  a 
perfect  exterior.     Any  deception  acted  or  spoken  is  wicked. 

"  Avoid  the  least  appearance  of  evil." 

Secondly.  Your  knife  is  of  use  only  as  it  is  perfect.  If 
nothing  but  the  handle  remained  it  would  be  an  infant's  toy. 
The  broken  blades  are  useful  for  some  purposes.     Add  one 


44 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART 


or  more  perfect  blades,  and  it  is  of  greater  use.     Look  at 
this  knife. 


Every  blade  is  sharp,  clean,  and  of  a  different  kind.  Thus 
its  capacity  for  use  is  great,  and  remains  so  in  proportion  as 
we  keep  it  in  perfect  order. 

Thirdly.  In  one  sense  we  are  knives.  The  various  traits 
of  character  we  possess  are  the  blades  of  this  human  knife, 
contained  in  a  case  which  is  the  body.  As  knives  vary  in 
form  and  style,  so  we  vary  in  features  and  character.  As  we 
bring  these  various  traits  to  perfection,  to  that  degree  will 
we  be  useful. 

Let  us  consider  some  traits  of  character,  or  blades,  which 
we  need  in  this  human  knife,  for  with  it  we  must  cut  our 
way  through  time  to  eternity. 

That  you  may  easily  remember,  let  each  letter  of  the 
word  knife  commence  the  name  of  these  much-needed  blades : 

K  is  the  blade  of  Knowledge.  We  need  knowledge — 
11  knowledge  is  power."  We  need  to  know  about  God,  our 
Creator.  We  obtain  this  from  the  Bible,  which  is  God's 
word.  It  is  our  chart  on  this  voyage  of  life.  It  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  our  salvation.  It  contains  words  of  wise 
counsel.  It  teaches  God's  great  law  of  love  to  him  and  to 
our  fellows.  It  contains  maxims  for  every  business  of  life. 
It  tells  us  how  to  live,  what  to  live  for,  and  how  to  secure 
imperishable  riches  and  an  eternal  mansion  in  the  skies.  We 
need  a  knowledge  of  self,  and  of  the  human  family ;  of  the 
world,  its  history,  manners,  and  customs;  of  science  and 
philosophy. 


MllOtTGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEAM.  45 

N  is  the  NO  blade,  A  small  word  of  vital  importance. 
To  learn  to  use  it  aright  is  a  hard  task.  NO  at  the  right 
time  would  have  saved  many  a  drunkard  from  hell,  made 
prisons  unnecessary,  and  saved  millions  of  lives  and  treasure. 
Always  say  NO  to  any  promptings  of  Satan;  never  to  any 
teachings  of  God's  Holy  Spirit. 

I  is  the  blade  of  Industry — one  of  the  devil's  greatest 
foes.  God's  plan  for  man  to  acquire  that  which  supplies 
his  wants  is  by  WORK.  'Tis  industry  makes  the  desert  bloom 
as  the  rose.  It  builds  cities,  spans  the  world  with  telegraphs 
and  railroads.  One  of  New  York's  best  merchants  remarked, 
"  All  that  a  young  man  needs  in  order  to  succeed  is  industry ^ 
economy,  and  perseverance."  He  ought  to  have  added  some- 
thing which  you  will  find  in  the  next  blade. 

F  is  the  blade  of  Faith.  Faith  in  God  and  his  word. 
Faith  brings  us  to  the  realization  of  the  rich  and  beautiful 
promises  of  the  Bible.  It  makes  death  a  bountiful  angel  to 
carry  us  to  a  home  in  heaven.  It  increases  by  exercise.  We 
need  a  faith  in  self  that  life  will  be  a  success.  General 
Grant's  faith  conquered  rebellion.  Professor  Morse's  faith 
developed  the  telegraph.  Luther's  faith  reformed  Germany. 
Read  of  its  mighty  triumphs  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  He- 
brews. Embrace  the  faith  there  taught.  Be  watchful  that 
this  blade  is  always  sharp,  and  is  never  broken. 

E  is  the  blade  of  Example.  It  must  be  either  good  or 
bad.  God  holds  us  accountable  for  its  character.  "  Let 
your  light  so  shine  before  men  that  they  may  see  your  good 
works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 

Now  look  at  these  five  blades  : 

KNOWLEDGE. 

NO. 

INDUSTRY. 

FAITH. 

EXAMPLE. 

May  we  possess  them  all ! 


4:6  THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE   HEART. 

V.    MAP   TEACHING. 

Little  need  be  said  in  regard  to  the  use  of  maps,  as  they 
have  been  long  and  widely  used  in  the  Sunday-school. 

It  would  be  an  improvement,  perhaps,  to  the  present 
method  of  hanging  maps,  if  they  were  all  hung  at  the  most 
central  point  for  the  eyes  of  the  whole  school,  only  one  being 
unrolled  at  a  time,  that  one,  of  course,  being  the  one  which 
gives  the  geography  of  the  lesson.  Besides  this,  every  teacher 
should  have  a  portable  Atlas  *  for  his  own  class.  Besides  their 
use  for  ordinary  geographical  reference,  maps  may  be  used 
for  Bible  lectures  and  reviews.  In  the  latter  case,  by  point- 
ing to  the  waters,  mountains,  and  towns  associated  with  the 
last  three,  or  six,  or  twelve  months'  study,  and  asking  ques 
tions  as  to  the  events  associated  with  these  geographical 
points,  and  giving  such  explanations  as  may  be  required,  the 
facts  learned  will  be  strongly  impressed  on  the  mind  with 
the  help  of  the  eye. 

We  give  the  following  suggestions  for  a  catecheticaland 
descriptive  Bible  lecture,  with  the  map  of  Palestine.  Sub- 
ject :  "  From  Dan  to  Beersheba."  Show  the  position  of  "  Dan 
and  Beersheba,"  and  also  that  the  expression  means  the  same 
in  regard  to  Palestine  as  "  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  " 
in  regard  to  the  United  States.  Divide  the  school,  two  Sab- 
baths before  the  lecture,  into  three  traveling  parties,  one  of 
them  to  go  from  Beersheba  to  the  Mediterranean  coast,  and 
then  up  the  coast  to  Sidon,  and  across  to  Dan,  studying 
all  incidents  of  Bible  history  associated  with  any  of  the 
places  through  which  they  would  pass,  as  Gaza,  (Samson, 
Philip,)  Joppa,  (Peter,)  Csesarea,  (Peter,  Paul,  etc.,)  Mount 
Carmel,  (Elijah,  Elisha,)  Tyre,  (Solomon,)  Sarepta,  (Jesus,) 
Sidon,  Mount  Hermon,  Damascus,  (Paul,)  Dan. 

*  The  little  pamphlet  Atlas  published  by  Nelson  &  Phillips  is  one  of  the 
very  best  in  quality  and  variety,  and  yet  is  sold  at  a  very  low  price.  These 
same  maps  are  bound  into  Whitney's  Bible  Geography,  which  should  be  in 
every  teacher's  library  as  a  help  to  map  teaching. 


OF 

PALESTINE. 


"From  DAN 

TO 

BEERSHEBA." 


•MT  QirAT^CTAmAigr       ^ 

or  MTTEMPTATION^.JERICHO 

•BETHLEHEM 


•  GAZA 

WIDTH  OF  PLAIN 
SO  MILES 


•BEERSHEBA 


BETHABARA 


f\OUTE OF  W SEMEN 


CASTLE  OF 

■MACHERUS 


48  TftRotfGH  The  eye  to  the  meaht. 

The  second  party  to  go  from  Beersheba  across  to  the  Dea<l 
Sea,  (notice  Zoar,  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Edom,  Moab,  and 
Mount  Pisgah  overlooking  the  whole ;)  then  up  the  Jordan 
(notice  its  crossing  by  the  Israelites,  its  waters  parted  by  the 
prophet's  mantle ;  Jericho,  a  little  way  from  its  banks,  whose 
walls  fell,  waters  were  healed,  etc.,  the  brook  Jabbok  that 
flows  into  it,  Jacob's  wrestling  place)  to  the  Sea  of  Gali- 
lee, and  coast  along  its  western  shore,  stopping  at  Gadara, 
(demoniac ;)  then  up  to  the  continuation  of  the  Jordan, 
through  to  the  waters  of  Merom  to  CaBsarea  Philippi,  (Jesus,) 
and  across  to  Dan. 

The  third  party  to  go  through  the  center  of  the  country 
from  Beersheba  to  Hebron,  (Abraham,)  to  Bethlehem, 
(David,  Ruth,  Jesus,)  to  Jerusalem,  (see  Bible  Dictionary, 
etc.,)  to  Mount  of  Olives,  (Gethsemane,  Ascension,  David's  re- 
treat, etc.,)  to  Bethany,  (Lazarus,  spikenard,  etc.,)  to  Bethel, 
(Jacob,  etc.,)  to  Gilgal,  (Joshua,)  to  Shechem,  (Jacob's  well,) 
stopping  to  climb  Mount  Gerizim,  (Samaritan  temple,  bless 
ings  and  curses,)  and  Mount  Ebal  to  Samaria,  (God's  deliv- 
erance, etc. ;)  to  Dothan,  (Joseph,)  to  Mount  Gilboa,  (Saul, 
etc..)  to  Nain,  (Jesus.)  to  Nazareth,  (Jesus,)  to  Cana,  (wine,) 
to  Mount  Tabor  and  Mount  of  Beatitudes;  then  to  the  lower 
part  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  up  the  eastern  coast  to  Tiberias, 
(miracles,)  Bethsaida,  (miracles,)  Chorazin,  (curses ;)  then 
across  the  sea,  recalling  the  voyages  of  Christ  and  hia  apos- 
tles, (the  two  storms,  two  draughts  of  fishes,  etc. ;)  then  across 
the  country  to  Dan. 

Teachers  and  scholars  having  studied  their  Bibles  and  Bible 
Dictionaries,  with  their  maps,  and  being  prepared  to  make 
these  three  trips,  with  a  knowledge  of  all  the  historical  asso- 
ciations, the  lecturer,  with  pictures,  relics  from  the  East,  and 
incidents  from  books  of  travel,  can  make  these  journeys  very 
interesting  and  instructive.  A  similar  lecture  can  be  made 
with  the  map  of  the  Israelites'  Journey,  called  "  From  Ra- 
meses  to  Jerusalem ;"  and  another  on  the  map  of  the  Journeys 
of  Sjt.  Paul,  called  iC  From  Damascus  to  Rome." 


THROUGH   THE   EYE   TO  THE   HEART.  49 

VI.    PICTURE   TEACHING. 

When  our  parlors  are  full  of  Bible  pictures,  aud  scarcely  a 
scene  in  the  Bible  has  not  been  represented  by  some  master 
hand,  it  is  strange  that  Bible  pictures  have  not  been  used 
more  extensively  in  Sunday-school  teaching.  If  a  school  can 
afford  it,  the  colored  pictures  on  stiff  card-board,  that  are 
published  by  our  Sunday-School  Unions,  should  be  in  its 
"  Cabinet  for  Eye  -Teaching  /"  but  if  there  are  not  means  to 
secure  these,  a  great  many  pictures  may  be  borrowed  from 
the  homes  of  those  in  the  Church  who  have  well-furnished 
walls.  An  infant-class  teacher  can  make  even  a  familiar  pict- 
ure very  useful  in  securing  attention.  If  the  lesson  be 
about  "  Christ  in  the  Manger,"  one  of  the  many  pictures  of 
that  scene  will  afford  the  best  means  of  making  the  lesson 
clear.  In  almost  every  community  pictures  may  be  found 
of  the  leading  events  of  Bible  history.* 

Besides  this,  every  teacher  should  have  his  own  Picture 
Scrap-Book.  The  illustrated  papers  will  frequently  give  a 
picture  that  may  be  used  some  time  to  illustrate  Bible  truth. 
One  teacher  writes  thus  to  the  "  Sunday-School  Journal :" 

"I  have  a  scrap-book  in  which  I  am  collecting  pictures 
illustrative  of  the  Bible.  I  buy  up  every  engraving  of  every 
sort  by  which  any  fact  or  custom  of  the  Bible  may  be  illus- 

*  In  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  New  York  a  room  has  been  fitted  up,  called  the 
Sunday-School  Exchange,  in  which  may  be  found  a  reference  library  of  all 
the  best  works  published  on  the  Sunday-school  cause,  which  teachers  are 
free  to  come  and  consult.  All  Sunday-school  periodicals  are  also  kept  on 
file ;  also  a  stock  of  pictures,  maps,  and  objects  suitable  for  illustrating  the 
Bible  have  been  collected,  any  of  which  the  teacher  may  have  the  privilege 
of  renting. 

One  of  the  very  best,  and  by  far  the  cheapest,  of  helps  for  picture  teaching 
is  the  "  Bible  Roll,"  by  Samuel  W.  Clark.  (Published  by  Nelson  &  Phillips.) 
It  comprises  twenty-five  large  views  of  the  tabernacle,  temple,  Eastern  man- 
ners, customs,  etc.  The  costumes  of  the  priests,  the  altars,  tables,  vails, 
and  other  parts  of  the  great  symbolic  tabernacle,  are  clearly  represented.  A 
school  cannot  spend  five  dollars  in  pictures  to  betier  advantage  than  in  se- 
curing this  valuable  collection. 
4 


50        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

trated.  I  find  Kelson's  cards  of  great  value.  Already  my 
scrap-book  is  an  attraction  to  old  and  young.  I  hold  an  oc- 
casional 'tea-table  talk'  with  my  Sunday  scholars  as  my 
guests,  and  the  scrap-book  makes  the  time  fly.  Several 
times  I  have  taken  it  with  me  for  use  in  my  class.  Xo 
trouble  to  'get  the  attention'  of  my  scholars." 

It  is  exceedingly  important  that  the  pictures  used  in  Sun- 
day-school teaching  should  give  correct  impressions.  We 
have  heard  of  a  picture  which  represents  David  in  his  con- 
flict with  Goliath,  as  a  young  man  with  his  hair  parted  in 
the  middle !  "  That,  we  presume,  was  to  balance  him  for 
throwing  the  stone  !  "  * 

A  child  seeing  a  picture  of  the  ark  which  had  several  win- 
dows, exclaimed,  "  Why,  the  Bible  says  there  was  only  one 
window  ! " 

A  story  is  told  of  two  Scotch  lads  who  knew  little  of  gun- 
nery and  natural  history,  but  were  familiar  with  King 
James's  Bible  and  with  the  winged  heads  that  pass  for 
cherubs  in  painting  and  sculpture.  Going  out  a  gunning 
together,  one  of  them  shot  a  bird,  and  the  other  ran  to  secure 
the  trophy.  Coming  near  where  it  had  fallen,  he  found  a 
white  owl  so  sprawled  in  the  grass  as  to  present  to  his  view 
only  a  head  with  staring  eyes  and  a  pair  of  wings  attached. 
Instantly  he  shouted  in  dismay :  "  Ye're  in  for  it  now,  Jock, 
ye've  shot  a  cherubim  ! " 

Correct  pictures  will  be  found  the  clearest  and  most  popu- 
lar commentaries  on  many  passages  of  the  Bible,  f  but  incor- 
rect pictures  are  much  worse  than  none. 

*  M.  0.  Hazard. 

f  The  most  valuable  and  attractive  pictures  that  can  be  obtained  for  use 
in  the  Sunday-school  or  Church  are  the  "  large  colored  diagrams  "  rented 
and  sold  by  Nelson  &  Phillips,  and  the  Depositories  of  the  American  Sunday- 
School  Union.  The  sets  of  especial  value  for  the  lessons  of  1877  are, 
"  20.  Life  and  Labors  of  the  Apostle  Paul;"  "  16.  Palestine  and  its  Cities  ;" 
"17.  Mountains  of  the  Bible;"  "18.  Types  of  Scripture;"  "11  and  12.  Ful- 
filled Prophecy;"  "8.  Literary  History  of  the  Bible;"  etc.,  etc.  A  set  is 
rented  for  a  Sunday  for  $1  50.     Send  for  a  catalogue. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.  51 

VII.   THE   USE   AND   ABUSE    OP   THE  BLACKBOARD.* 


WHAT'S  THE   USE? 


is  the  question  that  rises  to  many  lips  when  the  blackboard 
is  mentioned.  It  is  at  once  classed  by  some  among  the  in- 
genious works  of  magic,  and  considered  as  an  eccentric  in- 
truder among  the  helps  to  religions  teaching.  In  order  to 
answer  this  question,  "What's  the  use?"  let  us  prefix  two 
letters  to  the  last  word  and  notice  a  preliminary  question:— 


WHAT'S  THE  ABUSE? 


One  who  is  well  known  in  the  Sunday-school  work  writes 
these  well-timed  words  on  the  abuse  of  the  blackboard :  "I 
am  fully  conscious,  as  all  who  have  thoughtfully  observed 
the  course  of  this  line  of  teaching,  I  think,  must  be,  that 
it  has  been  made  the  victim  of  most  absurd  exaggerations 
and  complicated  follies.  Intended  to  be  the  simplest,  the 
clearest,  and  the  most  vivid  of  methods,  it  has  been  made 
by  a  large  class  of  blackboard  delineators  a  vehicle  of  the 
most  extravagant  imaginations  and  the  most  absurdly  unim- 
pressive exercises.  What  I  have  always  pleaded  for  in  its 
use,  and  do  now  more  than  ever,  is  pith,  point,  clearness, 
conciseness,  the  latter  especially." 

The  chief  abuses  of  the  blackboard  cluster  around  the  idea 
of  making  an  exhibition  of  it  rather  than  an  illustration  by 
it.  4C  Truth  and  art  should  serve  each  other ;  but  in  the 
king's  palace  art  must  be  the  servant  of  his  law.  When 
God's  law  is  made  the  servant  of  art  in  Sunday-school 
blackboarding,  no  wonder  honest  natures  are  disgusted." 

The  blackboard  is  related  to  the  truth  that  is  to  be  taught 
as  John  the  Baptist  was  related  to  Christ.     It  should  be  only 

*  All  this  section  equally  appropriate  to  the  use  of  a  slate  in  each  Sunday- 
school  class. 


52        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

"  a  voice,"  itself  unnoticed  while  its  message  fills  all  hearts, 
u  preparing  the  way  of  the  Lord."  This  thought  is  embodied 
in  decayed  sculpture  at  Melrose  Abbey.  Above  the  beauti- 
ful stone  foliage  at  the  south  door  is  a  niche  in  which  an 
image  of  Christ  formerly  stood,  and  beneath  it  there  is  still 
seen  a  half-length  figure  of  John  the  Baptist,  looking  rever- 
ently up  to  the  Master  above  him,  and  drawing  all  other 
eyes  to  the  same  place  and  away  from  himself.  Under  it  is 
written,  "Ecce  Films  Dei?  (Behold  the  Son  of  God.)  No 
better  representation  of  the  true  mission  of  the  blackboard 
in  the  Sunday-school  could  be  given.  It  must  point  away 
from  itself  to  Christ;  not  leading  men  to  say,  "How  skill- 
ful !  "  or  "  How  beautiful !  "  but  rather,  "  How  true  !  "  * 

Mr.  Moody  once  gave  a  blackboard  exercise  in   California, 
in  which  he  contrasted  in  opposite  columns 

THE   WORLD'S   GIFTS   AND    GOD'S    GIFTS. 


Money. 

Houses. 

Clothes. 

Honors. 

Pleasures. 


Jesus. 

Angels. 

Friends. 

Promises. 

Peace. 


The  exercise  was  made  so  fully  a  forerunner  and  herald  of 
Christ  that  it  resulted  in  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  an 
unconverted  teacher  who  was  present.  Many  other  conversions 
have  occurred  through  the  spiritual  use  of  the  blackboard. 

"  The  use  of  the  blackboard  for  illustrating  Bible  truths  is 

*Be  careful  always  that  the  full  force  of  the  illustration  goes  to  illumin- 
ate the  truth  which  you  are  expounding.  The  foot-lights  are  studiously 
vailed  from  the  eyes  of  the  spectators,  but  they  throw  a  luster  on  the 
actor's  face.  Like  them,  our  illustrations  must  not  draw  attention  to  our- 
selves, but  to  the  truth  we  have  in  hand.  "We  must  not  turn  them  on  our- 
selves, but  on  the  Master  and  his  work.  It  is  as  criminal  to  hide  him  be- 
neath gorgeous  illustrations  as  it  is  to  ignore  him  altogether.  "We  may  and 
ought  to  cover  our  faces  before  him ;  but  we  must  never  put  a  vail,  no  mat- 
ter how  exquisite  may  be  its  texture,  over  his  couutenauce. — Rev.  Wm.  M. 
Taylor,  D.D. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        53 

condemned  by  a  few  of  our  best  thinkers  for  its  materialistic 
tendencies.  It  is  urged  that  the  use  of  material  objects  for 
presenting  truth  leads  the  mind  into  the  errors  of  material- 
ism. God  did  not  think  so  while  teaching  the  Jews  the 
principles  of  Judaism.  He  thundered  on  Sinai  that  they 
might  hear  him  in  his  power  and  wrath  ;  but  this  was  not 
enough  ;  they  had  eyes  as  well  as  ears,  and  he  wrote  his  laws 
on  leaves  of  stone  that  they  might  see  him  in  its  truths,  and 
then  commanded  them  to  c  write  these  words  on  the  posts 
of  their  houses,  and  on  their  gates.'  "  * 

In  the  use  of  the  blackboard  the  same  law  holds  as  in  the 
other  departments  of  Church  work,  "  The  letter  killeth,  but 
the  Spirit  giveth  life." 

Another  class  of  blackboard  abuses  arises  from  incorrect 
drawing  or  incomplete  explanation.  A  superintendent,  hav- 
ing drawn  what  he  intended  for  an  eye  on  the  blackboard, 
asked,  "Now,  what  do  you  see  on  the  board?"  A  boy  an- 
swered, "  An  oyster  shell" 

One  who  cannot  draw  outlines  correctly  will  do  the  best 
and  safest  work  by  confining  himself  to  lettering,  f 

Sometimes  misapprehensions  similar  to  the  one  just  men- 
tioned occur  as  much  from  incomplete  explanation  as  from 
incorrect  drawing,  as  in  the  case  where  a  man  represented 
faith  by  a  shield,  somewhat  resembling  a  kitchen  boiler 
cover,  which  was  so  confusedly  explained  that  one  of  the 
scholars,  when  he  was  asked,  "What  is  faith?"  replied,  "  A 
kitchen  boiler  cover." 

Such  answers  will  sometimes  be  given  when  the  outline  is 
correctly  drawn,  as  the  following  illustration  will  show : — 

*  Rev.  J.  F.  Clymer. 

f  See  "  Table  of  Blackboard  Alphabets  "  in  last  pages  of  the  book.  There 
are  some  who  secure  the  benefits  of  drawing  in  the  presence  of  the  school 
and  avoid  the  errors  of  incorrect  drawing  by  making  the  picture  or  outline 
beforehand  with  soapstone,  whose  lines  can  be  seen  by  the  speaker,  but 
not  by  the  school,  and  then  at  the  appropriate  time  using  the  chalk  rapidly 
on  these  lines  that  are  already  faintly  drawn. 


54 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


Says  J.  S.  Ostrander,  "Not  a  great  while  ago  I  was  present 
at  a  large  Sunday-school  meeting,  in  which  one  of  our  most 
successful  teachers  used  the  board  to  illustrate  the  idea  of  a 
sacrifice.  He  drew  an  altar,  and  upon  it  a  lamb,  around 
which  he  drew,  with  red  crayon,  representations  of  the  con- 
suming fire.  The  whole  was  well  done.  The  children  were 
pleased  and  instructed.  'What  is  this,  children?' be  said, 
pointing  to  the  altar,  lamb,  etc.,  to  all  of  which  correct  an- 
swers were  obtained.  Finally  the  simplicity  and  innocence  of 
a  little  child  was  discovered,  by  the  putting  of  the  following 
question  by  the  speaker:  "And  what  is  this?  (pointing  to 
the  red  chalk  representation  of  fire.)  After  some  hesitancy 
a  little  voice  in  the  congregation  responded,  '  I  guess  they 
are  the  feathers  of  the  lamb.'1  Like  a  good  questioner,  the 
brother  received  the  answer  with  respect,  and  proceeded  to 
'  simplify  and  repeat.' " 

Yet  another  class  of  abuses  may  be  included  under  the 
term,  "  complicated  follies  and  false  emphasis."  Here  are 
several  published  specimens: 


The     Leader's    parting  wo 

he    vow    the    bier    stone       hea 


It    and    the    writing 
n    law-book,    still 

Teaching     when    Joshua's 
hat    God    is    Israel's 


RD 

,£AIN 
SEAD 


m 


1  TREE. 
\    BRANCHES. 
1U  FRTJIT. 


m 


1     MOB. 
■'     APOSTLES. 


EARTHQUAKE. 
»i    JAILER. 
J    BAPTISM. 


An  advertiser  tries  the  mystifying  blackboard  spelling  in 
announcing  his  wares,  after  this  fashion  : — 

YA3MS3FS. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        55 

Some    anonymous    writer    tries    it    on    the    history    of 
Henry  VIII. : 

ENRY       THE         ATHPTT 


ight  Defender  of  the  F 
A  CJ  a       divorc 

I\.  k3         6     wives, 
eads         Anne  B 

and   Cat 


bTJ 

ol     I'iyn 
th    -■-•rine 


svar    "TV 

e  a      U    f\T?    the    C 

urch       \J  JD     England. 

The  query  with  which  the  last-named  writer  heads  his  ex- 
posure of  such  complicated  follies  is  fitly  chosen : 


WAT? 


D 


Apply  this  question  to  the  following  exercises  on  David  and 
Goliath :  

HILISTINE  CHAMPION. 

USILLANIMOUS  ISEAELITES. 

LUCKY  SHEPHEED-BOY. 

ONDEEOUS  AEMOE. 

ICKED- 

EBBLES. 

EOUD   GOLIATH. 

IOUS  DAVID. 

EOVOKED   GIANT. 

EOPHESYING  LAD. 

ROMPT  ATTACK. 

EONE   PHILISTINE. 

EEV AILING  CHAMPION. 

ENETEATING  SWOED. 

AETED  HEAD-AND-BODY 

ANIC  STEICKEN  HOST. 

uEANS  OP  VIOTOEY. 

The  "  Sunday-School  Times,"  commenting  on  this  subject 
editorially,  utters  these  well-timed  words : 

"The  real  worth  of  an  outline  is  as  a  helpful  and  instruct- 
ive analysis.  If  it  does  not  serve  in  that  direction  it  is  use- 
less. It  may,  to  be  sure,  be  more  easily  fixed  in  the  memory 
through  an  acrostic,  or  an  alliteration ;  but  of  what  use  is  its 
memorizing  when  to  begin  with  it  is  good  for  nothing  ? 

"  The  true  test,  then,  of  a  suggested  outline  of  any  Bible  les- 
son, or  other  statement  of  truth,  is  in  its  value  apart  from  its 
alliterative  or  acrostical  structure.  If  the  outline  does  not 
prove  to  be  a  good  one  when  words  of  a  similar  meaning  be- 
ginning with  different  letters  are  substituted  for  those  sug- 


56        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

gested  in  the  fanciful  plan,  the  outline  is  worthless  in  spite 
of  all  the  ingenuity  displayed  in  its  arrangement.  For  ex- 
ample, if  the  lesson  were  the  story  of  David  and  Goliath,  it 
might  be  well  to  consider  the  narrative  in  study  or  teaching 
under  the  natural  divisions  of,  1.  Goliath's  challenge  to  the 
Israelites ;  2.  Their  fear  of  meeting  him  ;  3.  David's  trustful 
acceptance  of  the  challenge;  4.  The  ensuing  fight;  5.  Its 
issue.  This  outline  might  be  stated  as  an  aid  in  securing 
attention,  or  in  memorizing  the  divisions : 

CHALLENGE  BY  GOLIATH. 
OWARDICE  OF   ISRAEL. 
OURAGE  OF  DAVID. 
ONFLI0T  OF   CHAMPIONS. 
OMPLETE   VICTORY. 

This  outline  is  certainly  quite  as  good  without  the  alliteration 
as  with  it.  Many  sensible  teachers  would  prefer  to  use  it  in  the 
less  fanciful  form,  while  others  would  find  it  practically  more 
helpful  in  its  alliterative  statement.  In  this  case  the  outline 
is  first  secured;  then  the  alliteration  is  sought.  A  more 
common  way  with  blackboardists  seems  to  be  to  pick  out  a 
letter  and  see  how  many  phrases  ingeniously  drawn  from  the 
lesson  may  be  strung  on  it." 

The  rule  in  blackboard  lettering  should  be,  As  large  let- 
ters give  emphasis  and  prominence,  they  should  never  be  used 
except  where  they  make  up  an  important  syllable  or  word  or 
phrase  that  needs  to  be  emphasized,  or  when  they  may  legit- 
imately help  the  memory  in  an  initial  or  acrostic  exercise 
without  destroying  the  logical  outline  of  the  lesson, 

[Erasing  "  Ab,"  and  leaving  the  question  as  at  first, 
"What's  the  use?"] 

Let  us  now  notice  the  simple  and  practical  uses  of  the 
Sunday-school  blackboard  : 


By  printing  this  brief  word  any  one  can  collect  the  atten- 
tion of  an  audience  in  a  moment,  or  by  simply  raising  a  piece 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       57 

of  chalk  to  the  blackboard  without  making  even  so  much  as 
a  dot. 

1.  The  first  use  of  the  blackboard,  then,  is 

TO    COLLECT   ATTENTION. 

A  lady  unfriendly  to  the  Sunday-school  said  to  a  little 
girl  who  attended  it,  "Do  you  have  to  pay  any  thing  at 
Sunday-school?"  The  child  answered,  "  No — yes,  we  do; 
we  have  to  pay  attention^  This  Sunday-school  tax  of  at- 
tention is  one  of  the  hardest  taxes  to  collect,  but  it  can  be 
quickly  and  effectually  done  by  the  simplest  touch  of  the 
chalk  to  the  blackboard. 

In  Congress  or  Parliament  it  is  an  important  thing  to 
"catch  the  eye"  of  the  presiding  officer  at  the  right  mo- 
ment. The  ingenuous  and  varied  signs  along  the  street, 
above  the  stores,  are  also  earnest  efforts  to  "  catch  the  public 
eye."  The  blackboard  accomplishes  this  in  religious  teaching. 

Its  power  to  attract  attention  may  be  easily  verified  by 
taking  up  a  newspaper  and  finding  what  style  of  advertise- 
ments first  arrest  the  eye.  It  will  be  those  most  resembling 
the  blackboard.  So  also  of  advertisements  on  rocks  and 
fences. 

2.  The  Rev.  Geo.  A.  Peltz  recommends  the  use  of 

THE   BLACKBOARD   AS   A   BULLETIN. 

"  Use  it  for  special  announcements.  Much  time  is  unnec- 
essarily wasted  in  calling  attention  to  the  various  matters 
connected  with  the  economy  of  the  school.  The  proper  use 
of  the  blackboard  here  will  greatly  aid  order  and  quiet.  For 
example,  how  suggestive  would  be  the  display  of  a  board 
neatly  lettered,  as  follows : 

NEXT  SUNDAY 

MISSIONARY  COLLECTION 

FOR 

HEATHEN  LANfiS. 

FREELY    GIVE  !  FREELY    GIVE  ! 


58  THROUGH  THE   EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

3.  A  third  use  of  the  blackboard  is 

TO   AID   THE   MEMORY. 

Three  words  represent  the  laws  of  successful  memorizing — 
interest,  attention,  exercise.  All  these  laws  are  pre-eminently 
fulfilled  in  blackboard  illustration.  When  a  pastor  or  super- 
intendent lifts  the  chalk  to  the  blackboard  interest  is  awak- 
ened, attention  is  secured,  and  the  mind  is  exercised  in  curi- 
osity as  to  what  is  coming  next,*  and  what  is  to  be  the  mean- 
ing of  the  completed  work.  Each  word  written  on  the 
blackboard  is  written  at  the  same  moment  upon  the  memory 
of  those  who  follow  the  movements  of  the  chalk. 

Like  the  new  "letter  writer,"  the  blackboard  allows  us  to 
write  many  duplicate  copies  of  our  message  at  once,  as  many 
as  there  are  minds  present.  A  symbol  or  picture  drawn  upon 
the  blackboard  is  drawn  also  at  the  same  time  upon  the  mem- 
ories of  all  who  are  following  the  artist ;  so  that  from  the 
blackboard  as  a  negative,  copies  are  printed  upon  every  mind. 
Tyndall  once  said  that  were  he  lecturing  on  gravitation,  and 
should  say  to  his  hearers,  "  I  hold  a  marble  in  my  hand,  and 
were  I  to  release  it  the  power  of  gravitation  would  instantly 
draw  it  to  the  earth,"  he  would  not  feel  that  he  had  produced 
the  desired  impression  upon  his  auditors  until  he  had  actually 
permitted  the  marble  to  fall  to  the  floor,  and  thus  availed 
himself  of  the  co-operation  of  the  senses  in  immediate  con- 
nection with  the  definition  of  science,  for  the  purpose  of 
stamping  its    impress   indelibly   upon   the   memory    of    the 

*  The  point  here  hinted  at  is  the  chief  objection  to  the  new  plan  of  sten- 
ciling letters  on  the  blackboard  by  pulveriziug  chalk  and  using  it  as  ink  is 
ordinarily  used  with  stencils.  This  plan  would  afford  more  perfect  letters 
than  are  usually  formed  on  blackboards ;  but,  as  the  stenciling  would  need 
to  be  done  before  the  school  session  opened,  this  memory  law  of  exercise 
and  curiosity  would  have  to  be  sacrificed,  and  the  loss  would  be  more  than 
the  gain.  However,  in  such  elaborate  exercises  as  must  be  put  on  in  ad- 
vance, which  should  be  much  less  frequent  than  exercises  wrought  out 
before  the  eyes  of  the  school,  the  stencil  might  profitably  be  used  by  those 
who  have  no  skill  in  lettering. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        59 

audience.  Even  spoken  illustrations  or  word-pictures  show 
this  same  quality  in  a  less  degree.  Dr.  Guthrie,  in  his  early 
ministry,  held  a  Bible-class  of  young  people  on  Sabbath  even- 
ings, in  which  he  spoke  more  illustratively  of  Christian  truth 
than  he  felt  at  liberty  to  do  in  preaching. 

He  soon  found  that  these  informal  and  illustrated  talks 
were  much  better  remembered  than  his  less  illustrated  ser- 
mons, and  that  the  people  remembered  best  the  truths  that 
were  pictured  in  an  illustration.  From  this  experience  he 
was  led  to  use  illustrations  far  more  abundantly  in  preaching 
and  writing,  and  made  himself  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
successful  of  preachers  and  authors.* 

When  the  picture  summoned  before  the  eye  is  not  imag 
inary,  but    real,   the  impression   on   the   memory   is    much 
stronger,  and  hence  blackboard  illustration  becomes  the  king 
of  mnemonic  helps. 


FORGET   NOT  ALL  HIS  BENEFITS. 


Forget  that  sentence  if  you  can. 

4.  Another  simple  use  of  the  blackboard  is 

TO    EXPLAIN  THE   TRUTH. 

A  Sunday-school  had  been  studying  the  parable  of  the 
two  houses,  one  built  on  the  rock  and  the  other  on  the  sand. 
Most  of  the  scholars  were  familiar  with  the  story,  but  had 
not  realized  it.  The  outline  of  the  two  houses  was  then  put 
before  the  eyes  of  the  school  and  the  parable  was  then  ex- 
plained. A  thrill  of  new  interest  was  felt,  and  one  expressed 
the  feelings  of  all  when  he  whispered, "  O,  I  see !  " 

When  a  general  is  mapping  out  a  campaign   he  draws  his 

*  By  awakening  and  gratifying  the  imagination  the  truth  finds  its  way 
more  readily  to  the  heart  and  makes  a  deeper  impression  on  the  memory. 
The  story,  like  a  float,  keeps  it  from  sinking ;  like  a  nail,  fastens  it  to  the 
mind;  like  the  feathers  of  an  arrow,  makes  it  strike;  and,  like  the  barb, 
makes  it  stick. —  Guthrie. 


60     Through  tee  eye  to  the  heart. 

plans  and  locates  his  armies  by  pins.  When  an  architect 
wants  to  explain  a  building  his  pencil  and  paper  do  most  of 
the  talking.  In  a  village  in  India,  it  became  necessary  in  the 
course  of  some  engineering  operations  to  transport  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  metal,  weighing  several  hundred  tons,  from 
one  part  of  the  town  to  another.  Ordinary  means  were  out 
of  the  question ;  and  as  the  engineers  found  themselves  un- 
able to  devise  any  process,  they  did  the  next  best  thing,  and 
wrote  to  other  engineers  in  England,  who  were  constantly  su- 
pervising such  work.  The  latter,  instead  of  writing  out  nice 
large  pages  of  foolscap,  beautifully  embellished  with  Greek 
letter  formu Ice  and  red  ink,  quietly  waited  until  the  next  big 
piece  of  metal  which  they  had  to  transport  offered  a  favorable 
opportunity.  Then  they  prepared  a  camera,  and  photo- 
graphed every  step  of  the  operation,  together  with  all  the 
tools  and  appurtenances,  and  forwarded  the  prints  from  the 
negatives  to  India.  These  the  engineers  in  the  far-off  coun- 
try followed,  and  with  little  difficulty  accomplished  their  task. 
The  blackboard  may  be  used  with  like  helpfulness  in  the 
Christian  warfare,  and  in  the  building  of  character  to  explain 
the  unknown. 

Take  the  parable  of  the  sower.  To  represent  the  different 
fields  in  which  the  seed  (the  word  of  God)  is  sown  by  the 
sower,  (the  Christian,)  draw  first  the  outline  of  an  ear  for  the 
wayside.  Below  it  write  the  fate  of  the  seed — "Devoured." 
Above  write  the  name  of  the  devourer,  u  Satan."  Then 
draw  two  distorted  and  shriveled  hearts.  On  one  write 
"Stony;"  below  it,  "Withered;"  above  it,  "Weak  Faith." 
On  the  other  write  "Thorns;"  below  it,  " Choked ;"  above 
it,  "  Temptation."  Then  draw  a  full  heart,  and  write  on  it 
"Good  Ground;"  above  it  write  "The  Holy  Spirit,"  and, 
below,  "  Received  the  Seed,"  "  Bore  much  Fruit." 

"If  your  lesson  is  on  the  'Gadarene  Demoniac,'  draw  an 
ancient  tomb  with  a  broken  chain  beside  it.  If  on  the  '  Ten 
Virgins,'  draw  ten  lamps,  live  burning,  and  five  gone  out.  If 
on  death,  natural  or  spiritual,  draw  two  or  three  graves.     If 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


61 


on  c  Christ,  the  Light  of  the  World,'  draw  the  rising  sun 
shining  upon  a  house  with  closed  blinds.  Such  parables  as 
4  The  Builders,'  'The  Friend  at  Midnight,' and  some  others, 
suggest  their  own  pictures.  The  cave  where  Elijah  heard 
the  still  small  voice  may  be  represented  by  a  dark  spot  look- 
ins:  like  a  cave  on  the  side  of  a  mountain. 

A  striking  instance  of  the  value  of  the  blackboard  as  a 
means  of  explanation  was  seen  in  the  lesson  on  Gideon's 
Victory,  prepared  by  the  famous  war  correspondent  of  the 
"  Boston  Journal,"  Mr.  C.  "  Carleton  "  Coffin,  for  the  "  Con- 
gregationalist "  in  1875,  in  which  he  introduced  a  map  of  the 
scene  that    was   self-explanatory,    and   showed  more  to  the 


JEZREEL    / 
O 


62        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

eye  in  a  moment  than  an  hour's  teaching  could  have  shown 
through  the  ear.  Most  lessons  might  be  thus  lighted  up  and 
explained  by  using  the  blackboard  or  slate,  presenting  a  map 
of  the  scene  or  some  other  exercise. 

A  very  interesting  lesson  may  be  made  from  the  c  Mustard 
Seed '  by  drawing  in  colors  a  tree,  full  size  (enlarge  from  Bible 
dictionary)  of  the  mustard-tree,  and  by  its  side  a  dot,  repre- 
senting the  seed.  An  old-fashioned  well  on  one  side,  on  the 
other  the  name  '  Jesus,'  may  furnish  an  introduction  to  a  talk 
about  the  'Living  Water,'  and  so  on  indefinitely." 

When  the  eastern  plow,  or  the  stones  with  which  grind- 
ing was  done,  or  the  altar,  or  candlestick,  or  any  other  arti- 
cles of  household  or  temple  use  are  mentioned,  whose  outlines 
are  simple,  they  will  be  better  understood  than  by  any  word 
description  if  a  Bible  dictionary  is  examined  and  the  outline 
is  sketched  on  the  board. 

5.  Another  practical  use  of  the  blackboard  is 

TO   CONDENSE  THOUGHT. 

When  we  wish  a  message  or  resolution  condensed  into  the 
fewest  possible  words,  we  say,  "Please  put  it  in  writing." 
When  we  send  messages  by  telegraph,  knowing  that  there  is 
an  extra  charge  for  more  than  ten  words,  we  learn  how  much 
can  be  said  in  ten  words.  "  Blackboarding "  is  Sunday- 
school  telegraphy,  the  blackboard  being  the  battery,  the 
crayon  the  key.  One  who  uses  the  blackboard  learns  to  put 
outlines,  facts,  and  thoughts  in  the  briefest  and  fewest  words. 
How  impressive  (more  than  any  longer  message  could  have 
been)  was  that  telegram,  sent  by  a  man  who  had  escaped 
from  the  wreck  of  the  Atlantic,  near  Halifax,  to  his  partner 
at   New  York : 


•■  *e  ■  ■  *€  •■  *e  -  te  ••  *  - 

s  ^rv  ed: 


A  contrast  is  to  be  expressed  between  good  and  evil,  or  be- 
tween joy  and  sorrow.  Half  an  hour  would  do  it  in  spoken 
words  ;  put  them  in  opposite  colors  or  positions  on  the  black- 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        63 

board  and  the  contrast  is  at  once  apparent.  A  wrong  idea  is 
to  be  presented  and  overthrown.  How  much  a  long  argument 
may  be  condensed  by  writing  the  wrong  idea  upon  the  black- 
board, and  then  destroying  it  with  the  eraser  to  make  room  for 
writing  the  truth,  or  by  canceling  it  with  the  truth  written 
over  it ! 

In  the  story  of  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand,  the  word 
translated  "  ranks  "  means,  in  some  cases,  flower-beds.  This 
suggests  a  concise  picture  of  God's  care  over  us,  as  follows 
(remembering  that "  they  sat  down  in  ranks,  by  hundreds,  and 
by  fifties  ")  : 

God's  Garden. 


6.  Another  simple  use  of  the  blackboard  is 

TO    EMPHASIZE    TRUTH. 

God  might  have  sent  a  spoken  message  to  Belshazzar  by 
the  lips  of  Daniel,  but  was  it  not  more  terribly  impressive 
when  the  letters  of  fire  flashed  upon  the  king's  eyes  from  the 
wall: 

"mene,  mene,  tekel,  upharsin?" 

With  a  palace  wall  as  a  blackboard  and  crayons  of  fire  the 
divine  hand  inscribed  the  king's  death-warrant.  The  philos- 
ophy is  the  same  on  which  the  blackboard  teaching  of  to-day 
is  based. 

Tn  what  essential  particular  does  the  Divine  teacher's 
method  of  instructing  Peter  in  a  world  embracing  charity  by 
a  vision-sheet  full  of  beasts,  differ  from  a  Christian  superin- 
tendent's method  of  impressing  his  school  by  some  simple 
symbolical  outline  on  the  blackboard?  What  message  of 
Christ  was  more  impressive  or  successful  than  the  unknown 


64        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

words  he  wrote  on  the  ground,  with  the  sand  for  his  black- 
board and  his  finger  for  a  crayon?  Before  the  power  of  that 
eye-sermon  in  the  sand  his  whole  audience  of  hypocrites  fled 
away. 

There  is  a  great  emphasis  in  putting  the  truth,  whether  on 
board  or  paper,  "down  in  black  and  white." 


BEHOLD.  I  STAND  AT  THE  DOOR  AND 

KNOCK!" 


This  message  will  be  photographed  in  an  instant  upon  the 
heart  and  memory,  and  cannot  be  forgotten. 

Various  degrees  of  emphasis  are  indicated  by  the  size  and 
position  of  words.  A  word  in  large  capitals  or  a  word  hav- 
ing a  whole  line  is  made  especially  emphatic,  as  seen  in  the 
following : 

"WHATSOEVER 

THE  LORD 

H  J±  T  H       SAID       UNTO 

THEE, 

DOP 

"  Whatsoever,"  "  thee,"  and  "  do,"  are  made  emphatic  by 
position;  "the  Lord,"  by  size  of  letters. 

Emphasis,  with  pleasing  variety,  also,  may  be  secured  by 
the  judicious  use  of  colored  crayons.  While  yellow  and 
wrhite  are  the  only  colors  that  are  clear  and  distinct  when 
used  alone,  every  color  may  be  brought  out  by  making  block 
letters,  in  which  two  colors  are  used  in  appropriate  combina- 
tions, as  blue  with  white,  yellow  with  green,  blue  with  light 
brown,  blue  with  red,  and  in  general  a  light  color  with  a 
dark  one.  Several  patterns  of  block  letters  will  be  found  in 
the  "  Table  of  Blackboard  Alphabets  "  in  the  last  pages  of 
the  book. 

7.  Another  practical  use  of  the  blackboard  is  to 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.  65 

REVIEW  THE  LESSONS, 

to  draw  from  the  scholars  the  information  already  imparted 
to  them  by  their  teachers.  In  most  cases  the  exercise  should 
not  be  written  or  printed  on  the  blackboard  before  the  time 
when  it  is  to  be  used,  except,  perhaps,  a  few  catch- words  and 
initials.  Questions  should  then  be  asked,  and  the  answers 
briefly  indicated  with  the  chalk,  until  the  exercise  is  com- 
plete. Lines,  dots,  and  letters  will  often  be  sufficient  to  bold 
the  attention  and  impress  the  thought.  Difficult  exercises 
must  generally  be  made  before  the  school  session;  but  all 
that  can  be  drawn  from  the  scholars  by  questions,  and  read- 
ily delineated  or  printed,  should  be  left  to  the  time  of  using 
the  exercise.  This  will  allow  one  to  take  advantage  of  curi- 
osity, which  loves  to  witness  the  creation  of  a  thing. 

In  an  acrostic  exercise,  the  acrostic  letters  may  sometimes 
be  put  on  beforehand ;  in  a  table  exercise,  the  outline  of  the 
table  ;  in  a  canceling  or  erasing  exercise,  that  which  is  to  be 
canceled  or  erased ;  in  a  map  exercise,  the  simple  outline 
without  the  points  of  interest  indicated. 

In  this  book  the  exercises  are  usually  given  as  they  would  ap- 
pear when  completed.  It  is  intended  that  each  exercise  should 
be  developed,  by  questions,  point  by  point.     The  following 

Review  op  the  Life  of  Christ, 


Did 


Said, 


Make  the  deaf  heab. 
Make  the  dumb  speak. 
Cast  out  evil  spibits. 
grive  sight  to  the  blind. 

"We  MUST  beab  good  FauiT." 
"Love  one  anotheb." 
"grod  looks  at  the  heabt." 
"She  hath  done  what  she  could." 


(  The  kiss  op  Judas. 
Suffered  J  ^er's  Denial. 


Scourging  with  stripes. 
The  death  op  the  cross. 


66  THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

taken  Iroin  the  "  Sunday-School  Chronicle,"  will  show  the 
development  of  a  blackboard  exercise.  The  process  would 
be  essentially  the  same  for  the  review  of  one  lesson,  or  a 
month's  work  as  for  a  quarter's,  as  in  this  case.  First,  the 
superintendent  asks,  "  About  whom  have  we  been  studying 
these  three  months  ? "  He  prints  the  answer,  "  Jesus." 
Then  he  says,  "  We  want  to  recall  what  he  c  did,'  what  he 
1  said,'  and  what  he  '  suffered.'  "  Accordingly  he  prints  these 
three  words  in  the  relative  positions  indicated.  "  Now, 
what  did  Christ c  do  '  in  the  lessons  we  have  studied  f"  From 
one  and  another  the  various  answers  come,  helped,  perhaps, 
by  a  hint  or  two  from  the  superintendent.  "Now,  what 
were  some  of  the  sweetest  things  that  Jesus  'said'  in 
these  lessons  ? "  The  answers  are  epitomized  into  the 
fewest  words  on  the  blackboard.  So  also  with  the  third 
point.  Each  answer  under  all  three  points  is  explained,  il- 
lustrated, and  enforced,  and  appropriate  songs  are  interspersed 
to  vary  the  exercise. 

The  method  of  conducting  the  blackboard  reviews  of  single 
lessons  may  be  illustrated  by  the  following  on  the  lesson  of 
"Paul  and  Silas  in  Prison,"  Acts  xvi,  22-34.  [Unless  a 
blackboard  is  very  large  both  sides  will  be  needed  for  this 
exercise :] 

GOD    8AYES 


fPERIL 


■Israel  in  Egypt. 

-Daniel  and  three  worthiea 

-Apostles  in  prison. 


FROM< 

I  N  I  ^  — All  who  believe  in  Christ. 


IN  HOMEFULS.  \ 


Noah — "Come  thou  and  thy 
Abraham — "Teach  his 
Joshua — "As  for  me  and  my 
(  Jailer — u  Saved,  and  thy 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        67 


JSONG 


— Jehoshaphat. 
-Paul  and  Silas. 
-The  Reformers. 

BY 


n 


thy  work, 
"What  iirast  I  doP 

1.  Do  thyself  no  harm  by  rejecting 

2.  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 

3.  Sing,  pray,  work,  for 

At  the  beginning  of  the  review  nothing  is  upon  the  board 
except  the  words,  "  God  saves,"  "  From,"  "  In,"  "  By."  The 
superintendent  says,  "In  this  lesson  we  see  God's  power  to 
save  both  his  followers  and  his  enemies.  What  did  God  save 
his  apostles  from  ?  "  "  Yes,  from  prison,  or  in  general,  from 
'peril.'"  (Prints  it.)  "Mention  some  other  instances  in 
which  God  rescued  his  people."  The  answers  include  "  Is- 
rael in  Egypt,"  "  Daniel,"  "  Three  worthies."  These,  with 
"  apostles,"  are  written  as  indicated.  The  superintendent 
impresses  the  thought  of  God's  care  and  power  to  help. 
"  But  God  saved  some  in  that  prison  who  were  not  his  fol- 
lowers. Who  ?  From  what  ?  "  "  Yes,  from  l  sin.'  (Writes,) 
Who  else  does  God  save  from  'sin?'  (Writes  reply,)  All 
who  believe  in  Christ."  Illustrates  what  it  is  to  believe  in 
Christ.  "  Was  any  one  saved  from  sin  but  the  jailer  ?  "  "  Yes, 
God  saved  a  ho?neful,  as  he  has  done  so  often  in  Christian 
history."  (Write  "homefuls.")  "  Now  mention  some  other 
cases  in  the  Bible  where  a  whole  household  served  the  Lord." 
The  cases  of  "Noah,"  "Abraham,"  and  "Joshua,"  are  men- 
tioned, and  with  the  "jailer"  are  written  on  the  blackboard 
with  the  indicated  texts.  The  superintendent  asks,  "  What 
means  that  were  used  in  the  prison  does  God  often  use  to  save 
men  ?  "  Writes  down  the  answers,  "  Song,"  "  Prayer."  The 
case  of  Jehoshaphat  and  the  songs  of  the  Reformation  are 
used  as  illustration  and  noted  on  the  blackboard.     "  What 


68        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

two  kinds  of  prayers  are  we  to  use  ?  "  (For  ourselves  and 
for  others.)  "I  will  write  one  of  each."  (Writes,  " Lord, 
save  me,"  and  "  Revive  thy  work.")  "  Now  comes  the  prac- 
tical question  for  us,  as  well  as  the  jailer,  What  must  I  do  ?  " 
The  three  points  are  written,  then  emphasized  and  illustrated 
for  both  Christians  and  the  unconverted.  The  blackboard  is 
especially  valuable  for  Quarterly  Reviews.  The  most  satis- 
factory plan  we  have  known  to  be  successfully  and  continuous- 
ly employed  is  one  originated  by  Rev.  J.  H.  Vincent,  and  used 
in  the  Piainfield  (N.  J.)  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-school, 
James  M'Gee,  superintendent.  A  large  sheet  of  lapinum,  or 
blackboard  cloth,  about  nine  feet  by  four,  has  been  nailed  to 
the  wall,  back  of  the  desk,  at  a  cost  of  less  than  ten  dollars, 
and  set  apart  wholly  to  the  Quarterly  Review,  leaving  the 
other  blackboard  of  the  school  for  other  use.  This  black- 
board cloth  has  been  ruled,  as  on  the  following  page. 
The  top  column  across  the  page  contains  the  number  of  the 
quarter  and  the  numbers  of  the  lessons  from  I  to  XII.  The 
first  column  down  the  page  indicates  the  points  in  each  lesson 
that  are  to  be  reviewed. 

In  the  second  column  down  the  page  we  see  the  applica- 
tion of  this  plan  to  the  first  lesson  of  the  third  quarter  of 
1876,  as  found  in  the  "Berean  Question  Book."  The  expla- 
nation of  this  column  will  show  the  application  of  the  plan 
for  any  lesson  and  with  any  question  book  or  lesson  leaf. 
The  question  is  asked,  "  What  is  the  title  of  the  lesson  ?  " 
The  answer  is  given  by  the  school,  "David's  charge  to  Solo- 
mon," which  is  indicated  on  the  blackboard  only  in  initials 
as  a  help  to  memory,  "  D.  C.  S."  Then  the  question  in 
regard  to  topic  is  answered,  "Ministry  to  God  divinely 
appointed,"  which  is  epitomized  in  the  letters,  "M.  G. 
D.  A."  The  golden  text,  "Know  thou  the  God  of  thy 
father,  etc.,"  is  indicated  by  its  first  word.  The  outline, 
"Ministry  to  God  Appointed" — 

1.  As  to  what  men  shall  do ; 

2.  As  to  how  men  shall  do, 


m 

X 

— * 

2 

O 

o 
o 

Z3* 

CD 

1 
1 

o 

c 

5" 

CD 

1 
1 

en 

o 

o_ 

CD 

3 

—1 

CD 

X 

ft* 

CO 

Topics  or  Central 
Thoughts,    - 

CD 
CO 

1 

1 
1 

IE 

30 
O 

•O 

>- 
DO 

—1 

m 

po 

CD 
OB 

o  ^  en 

*5 

o 

b 

on 

HH 

Wopp 

P9 

o 

5° 

era 

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53 

m 

<1 

<1 
J-H 

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<l 
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1— 1 

M 

B 

M 

HH 
HH 

?0  THROtTGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

is  repeated  and  epitomized  in  the  same  way,  and  also  the 
"  doctrine  "  of  the  lesson,  "  God  a  sovereign."  A  few  mo- 
ments are  given  to  some  extra  drill  on  the  Catechism,  the 
books  of  the  Bible,  or  some  other  subject,  for  which  the  re- 
maining column  is  used.  The  other  blackboards  are  used  for 
pictorial  or  other  exercises  on  each  lesson  in  addition  to  this 
memory  drill. 

On  the  second  Sunday  the  second  lesson  is  developed 
in  the  same  manner,  and  the  first  is  reviewed.  This  re- 
view of  all  the  preceding  lessons  of  the  quarter  occurs  every 
Sunday  after  the  drill  on  the  new  lesson,  and  is  necessary  to 
a  thorough  Quarterly  Review. 

To  give  variety  in  the  appearance  of  the  exercise,  on  some 
quarters,  twelve  books  are  represented  as  standing  on  a  shelf, 
and  the  initials  as  above  are  put  on  their  backs,  each  book 
representing  a  lesson. 

Twelve  picture  frames  might  be  drawn  for  a  still  further 
change,  or  a  pillar  with  twelve  stones,  or  a  road  with  twelve 
milestones,  the  details  being  essentially  the  same  in  each 
case. 

The  blackboard,  then,  is  of  great  value  in  the  Sunday- 
school  for  winning  attention,  helping  memory,  making  an- 
nouncements, explaining  truth,  condensing  thought,  empha- 
sizing ideas,  and  reviewing  lessons. 

What  to  Take  Out  of  a  Lesson  for  the  Blackboard. 

Those  who  are  unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  the  blackboard 
may  not  know  at  first  what  should  be  taken  out  of  a  lesson 
and  put  before  the  eye.  The  parts  to  be  thus  used  are  usually 
lit  her  the  central  thought,  the  Golden  Text,  the  great  doctrine, 
the  prominent  duty,  the  outline,  or  the  warning,  of  the  lesson. 
When  "  what  to  use  "  has  been  searched  out,  then  the  "  how 
to  use  it  "  should  be  considered, — whether  to  make  it  an  out- 
line picture,  or  an  acrostic,  or  what  form  will  best  emphasize 
the  point  to  be  taught,  explain  its  meaning,  and  impress  it  on 
the  memory,  with  due  regard  also  to  pleasing  variety. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        71 

Materials  Wanted. 

A  large  revolving  blackboard  is,  of  course,  the  best.*  It 
affords  a  great  advantage  in  that  the  exercise  on  one  surface 
may  front  the  school  during  the  lesson,  and  another  exercise 
may  be  held  in  reserve  on  the  hidden  side  for  the  closing 
review.  Often  it  is  well  to  have  a  simple  exercise  on  the 
front,  such  as  a  motto,  or  a  word  exercise ;  a  symbol  exercise 
or  outline  exercise  being  kept  on  the  reverse  side  until  the 
other  has  been  used.  Some  carpenter  interested  in  the  school 
will  sometimes  make  such  a  blackboard  at  a  low  price,  but  its 
great  usefulness  will  be  an  ample  reward  for  an  extra  effort 
to  obtain  it.  Those  who  are  building  new  churches  should 
put  in  a  fine  wall  blackboard.  If  neither  of  these  can  be  had, 
a  poor  one  is  far  better  than  none.  Then  a  good  eraser,  a 
long,  stout  rule,  a  good  pointer,  and  a  box  of  mixed  crayons, 
will  make  an  outfit.  White  crayons  should  generally  be  used, 
but  other  colors  sometimes  add  greatly  to  the  variety  and 
strength  of  expression.  By  gaslight  yellow  crayons  are  most 
distinct.  Use  round  chalk  for  writing,  square  chalk  for  print- 
ing. "  Bear  on  !  Speak  loud  to  the  eye ! "  A  free  and  off- 
hand way  of  writing  and  printing  should  be  cultivated. 

The  blackboard  excels  nearly  all  other  forms  of  illustration 
in  convenience,  availability,  and  cheapness.  Description  and 
allegories  require  more  time  to  reach  the  heart  through  the 
ear  than  the  blackboard  to  reach  it  through  the  eye.  "  Ob- 
jects "  for  object  lessons  are  shown  but  once,  while  the  black- 
board may  be  used  again  and  again  for  an  indefinite  time. 
Pictures  have  one  unchanging  surface,  while  the  blackboard 
gives  opportunity  for  fresh  and  varied  illustrations.  Maps 
are  purchased  at  considerable  expense,  and  many  schools  can- 
not supply  themselves  with  a  sufficient  number  for  a  thorough 

*By  far  the  cheapest  method  of  getting  a  blackboard  is  to  buy  one  or  two 
yards  of  "  Blackboard  Cloth,"  for  one  or  two  dollars,  and  hang  it  upon  the 
wall  or  uail  it  upon  an  easel.  Many  prefer  it  even  to  the  best  black- 
boards. It  is  manufactured  by  "The  Silicate  Slate  Company,"  corner  of 
Church  and  Pulton  Streets,  New  York,  and  sold  by  many  book-sellers. 


72 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


study  of  Bible  geography.  Blackboard  maps  may  present 
the  towns,  rivers,  and  mountains  mentioned  in  the  lesson 
more  prominently  than  any  published  maps  would  do  it. 

How  to  Make  Letters.* 

"  The  plainest  letter  is  generally  the  best,  and  one  of  the 
easiest  styles  of  letter  to  make  is  called  the  block  letter. 

u  How  are  they  made  f  If  the  word  or  sentence  is  to  be 
written  on  a  straight  line,  place  the  ruler  against  the  board, 
and  draw  the  crayon  faintly  on  each  side  of  it ;  that  will 
make  two  parallel  lines  three  inches  apart,  thus : 


"Next,  lower  the  rule,  say  three  fourths  of  an  inch,  and 
rule  again,  thus:  — 


"The  upper  and  lower  spaces  enable  you  to  make  the  top 
and  bottom  of  the  lines  even  and  of  the  same  size. 

"  Say  the  word  to  be 
written  is  L-O-V-E. 
Remember  that  the 
parallel  lines  just  ruled 
always  make  the  top 
and  bottom  of  the  let- 
ters, and  to  complete 
them  the  down  lines 
only  have  to  be  made. 
a  See  diagram.  The 

Table  of  Blackboard  Alphabets"  in 


EMS 


'fflSffi 


♦For  further  varieties  of  letters  see 
•  losing  pages  of  the  book. 

Charles  B.  Stout  says  that  a  blackboard  should  not  be  black  at  all. 
11  Boards  colored  a  sea-green,"  he  says,  "  are  very  agreeable  to  the  eye,  and 
afford  a  fine  ground  for  chalk  and  crayon.  On  boards  of  a  delicate  sky-blue 
the  chalk  shines  with  almost  dazzling  whiteness." 

Manufacturers  of  blackboards  say  that  while  this  is  so  when  a  Uueboard 
is  new,  it  soon  becomes  blurred,  and  is  then  less  distinct  than  the  black. 
If  one  should  use  the  blue  it  would  doubtless  be  necessary  to  v\  ash  it  before 
each  use,  and  frequently  renew  the  liquid  slating  or  coloring. 


^fiROUGIt  THE  EYE  TO  TfiE  HEART.  73 

heavy  lines  show  the  down  lines.  Letters  made  with  one 
colored  crayon  and  shaded  with  that  of  another  color  are 
very  prominent ;  for  instance,  a  yellow  letter  shaded  with  red. 
Be  careful  to  make  the  shading  on  the  same  side  of  each 
letter. 

"  Another  way  to  make  showy  letters  is  to  make  them  re- 
gardless of  proportion,  in  all  sorts  of  irregular  shapes ;  see 
the  word  Divine  in  the  diagram.    The  letters  look  best  shaded. 

"  To  write  words  in  a  semicircle,  make  guiding  lines  by  fast- 
ening a  piece  of  crayon  to  the  string ;  with  the  left  hand 
hold  the  string  against  the  board,  and  with  the  right  hand 
describe  the  circle.     (See  diagram  on  p.  72.) 

"  Broad  letters  made  with  the  side  of  the  crayon  show  well. 
See  the  word  Peace, 

"  Letters  written  as  in  the  word  Purity  are  not  difficult  to 
make. 

"  Use  the  string  in  making  letters  *with  curved  lines.  See 
the  word  Good. 

"  A  bold,  vigorous  stroke  always  looks  better  than  a  weak, 
timid  one,  even  though  not  so  true."  * 

"  Any  man  who  has  influence  enough  to  receive  the  votes 
of  any  company  of  men  and  women  to  be  the  superintendent 
of  their  Sabbath-school  has  ability  to  use  the  blackboard  if  he 
only  has  willingness  to  use  it  in  this  simple,  unostentatious  way. 

"  The  plainest  sort  of  a  man,  with  the  lesson  in  his  head 
and  heart,  baptized  with  the  spirit  of  self-forgetfuiness,  whose 
only  aim  is  to  impress  God's  truth  on  youthful  hearts,  will  do 
more  with  his  rudest  chalkings  than  the  skillful  blackboardist 
with  his  perfect  diagrams,  but  without  his  Ghristly  spirit  and 
aim. 

"  Here,  at  least,  heart  is  greater  than  art?  f 

THE    SLATE. 

To  the  individual  teacher  the  slate  is  as  helpful  as  the 
blackboard  to  the  pastor  or  superintendent.     All  that  may  be 

*  J.  B.  Phipps,  in  "The  Normal  Class."         f  Rev.  J.  F.  Clymer, 


74 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


-c-Ucfi-c- 


cz.C£/z€*C<tJ 


r^dsU4 


said  of  the  advantages  of  the  blackboard  to  the  school  may- 
be said  of  the  slate  in  regard  to  the  class.  Every  teacher 
who  can  write  a  plain  hand,  even  though  unskillful  with  the 
pencil,  may  use  the  slate  with  great  profit. 

If  the  lesson  is  descriptive, 
make  a  frame  by  drawing  four 
lines,  and  then  put  within  it  the 
objects  mentioned  in  the  lesson — 
straight  marks  for  people,  squares 
for  houses,  crosses  for  trees,  and 
acute  angles  for  mountains. 
These,  with  the  imagination  of 
the  class,  will  make  a  picture 
which  will  fix  a  lesson  in  the 
mind  so  that  it  will  never  be  for- 
gotten. 

It  would  be  a  profitable  investment  for  a  Sunday-school  to 
buy  for  all  its  teachers  silicate  slates  large  enough  to  give  a 
foot  square  of  surface  when  opened,  and  have  the  superintend- 
ent in  the  teachers'  meetings  suggest  maps,  outlines,  etc.,  for 
the  teachers  to  use  on  their  slates  in  their  classes,  in  addition 
to  what  might  be  held  in  reserve  for  the  general  blackboard. 

The  blackboard  exercises  given  in  this  book  may  be  used 
with  equal  appropriateness  on  a  teacher's  slate. 

Every  scholar  also  should  have  a  slate  to  make  a  map  of 
the  scene  of  the  lesson,  written  answers  to  special  questions 
given  out  on  the  previous  Sunday,  written  epitomes  of  the 
home  readings  or  some  other  part  of  the  lesson,  etc. 

A  Classification  / 

of  blackboard  exercises  will  now  follow,  arranged  in  a  nat- 
ural order  from  the  simplest  to  the  most  difficult,  from  the 
simplest  motto  to  the  more  elaborate  outline  exercise.  Enough 
are  given  under  each  class  to  show  distinctly  what  we  mean 
by  its  name  and  to  suggest  many  others. 

1.  The  Motto  Exercise. — The  simplest  form  of  black- 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


75 


board  exercise  is  to  write  or  print  the  Golden  Text,  or  a 
religious  precept  or  proverb,  or  some  motto  or  watchword,  on 
the  blackboard.  By  breaking  it  up  into  short  lines,  empha- 
sizing important  words  by  colors,  large  capitals,  and  a  posi- 
tion by  themselves,  such  mottoes  are  often  made  very  impress- 
ive. The  following  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  arrangement 
of  a  motto  on  the  blackboard : 

"The  Lord"  "healeth"  "thee"  ® 
stand  out  prominent,  both  on  ac- 
count of  position  and  size.  "  Heal- 
eth "  should  be  in  red,  to  suggest 
the  cleansing  blood,  and  "  thee  "  in 
white,  to  represent  "white  as 
snow." 

Even  the  writing  of  a  simple 
precept  on  the  blackboard  about 
which  you  wish  to  speak  impresses 
that  precept  on  those  who  are 
listening  as  no  emphasis  or  repeti- 
tion can  do. 


AM 


THE     LORD 


THAT 


HEALETH 

THEE. 


MUCH  WITH   GOD,   MUCH   LIKE  GOD. 

Such  a  motto  can  be  illustrated  by  the  story  of  "  that  dis- 
ciple whom  Jesus  loved,"  or  by  the  story  of  Moses  on  the 
Mount,  and  enforced  with  such  passages  as,  "  We  shall  be 
like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is,"  and, "  We  all,  with  open 
face  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are 
changed  into  the  same  image."  The  following  exercises  are 
only  suggestive  of  a  multitude  of  others : 

TRUST  YE  IN  THE   LORD   FOREVER : 

FOR  IN  THE 

LORD       JEHOVAH 


IS   EVERLASTING  STRENGTH. 


Isa.  xxvi,  4, 


w 


TfiftOUGH  TfiE   EYE  TO  THE  H.EART. 


"  Ingenious  little  children  sometimes  tell  you  how,  with  a 
few  letters,  they  can  spell  a  very  large  word.  With  three 
letters  I  can  spell  bereavement.  With  three  letters  I  can 
spell  disappointment.  With  three  letters  I  can  spell  suffering. 
With  three  letters  I  can  spell  death.  With  three  letters  I  can 
spell  perdition.  S-i-n — Sin.  That  is  the  cause  of  all  our 
trouble  now.    That  is  the  cause  of  our  trouble  for  the  future." 

"  Sin  "  being  printed  very  large,  across  it,  in  another  color, 
may  be  written  the  words  in  italics;  above  it  may  then  be 

written,  "  Christ  will  save  us  from ,"  and  on  either  side, 

84  No in  heaven." 

II.    THE   TOPIC    EXERCISE. 

Next  to  the  motto  exercise  in  simplicity  comes  the  topic 
exercise,  which  consists  in  putting  the  divisions  of  an  address, 
or  the  analysis  of  a  lesson,  or  the  prominent  points  of  a  story, 
upon  the  blackboard,  one  after  another.  For  example, 
"  Christ's  Miracles  of  Raising  the  Dead,"  by  Rev.  W.  B. 
Wright : 

I.  Jairus'  Daughter — from  her  BED. 
II.  Widow's  Son— from  his  BIER. 
III.  Lazarus— from  the  TOMB. 


This  exercise  illustrates  the  increasing  wonder  of  the  three 
miracles  on  the  dead;  one  raised  just  after  death  from  her 
"bed  ;"  another. a  few  hours  after  death  from  his  "bier,"  as 
he  was  "  carried  forth  ; "  and  a  third  from  the  "  tomb,"  where 
he  had  "lain  four  days  already." 


JESUS  OUR  DAVID. 


The  Shepherd  Bag. 
Five  Pebbles. 
The  Sling. 


The  Bible. 

(1  Tim.  i,  15;  John  iii.  10;  I  pa. 
*j  Mi,  5;  1  Pet.  ii,  24;  John  iii,  86. 

The  Holy  Spirit. 


VICTORY  THROUGH  CHRIST. 


B.  F.  J. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        77 

3.    Initial  Exercise. 
Next  in  natural  order  comes  the  Initial  Exercise,  by  which 
several    important  words  in   the  lesson   beginning  with  the 
same  letter  are  united  together  with  that  letter.    For  example: 


R 


From  Sin  to  God. 

[NED  /^NJ  IN— Separates  from  God. 

Mi  AVIOUR — Restores  to  God. 
^  r  -Teaches. 


E 


GENERATED  P^I  lUll  ) -Reproves. 

Comforts. 


phut5 


This  exercise  may  be  illustrated  by  the  familiar  story  of 
Curtius  and  the  chasm  at  Rome,  and  other  stories  of  men  who 
have  given  their  lives  for  country  or  friends.  Another  ex- 
ample of  this  kind : 


JL±i± 

R 


The  Prodigal. 

ashness. 

nin. 

ebellion. 

epentance. 
eform. 


Lost,  Ql  ought,  T3estored, 

oves,       Uecured,       JL\ejoiced  over. 

4.  The  Syllable  Exercise. 
Next  in  natural  order  are  those  exercises  in  which  several 
words  are  bound  together  by  a  common  syllable.  For  example: 

The  Pathway  of  Jesus. 

mLEHEM-Manger. 
ABARA  -Baptism. 
ESDA— The  troubled  waters. 
ANY— "How  he  loved  him;' 
SAID  A— Multitude  fed. 
PHAGE— Hosanna. 
TOLD, 
JEVE, 
BORN    AGAIN." 

WILL    YOU    GOP 


78        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

"Behold"  Jesus  at  Bethlehem  in  the  manger — the  Prince 
of  heaven  wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes,  paying  the  ransom 
of  your  soul ;  Behold  a  dove  descending  and  a  voice  from 
heaven,  at  Bethlehem,  saying,  "  This  is  my  beloved  Son;" 
"  Behold  how  he  loved  him"  at  Bethany;  Behold  the 
cripple  saved  at  Bethesda,  the  multitude  fed  at  Bethsaida; 
*  Behold  thy  king  cometh  (from  Bethphage)  amid  palms  and 
i.osannas."  Believe  in  this  Christ  and  you  shall  be  u  born 
again,"  and  have  a  Christmas  and  Bethlehem  in  your  own 
heart ;  you  shall  be  baptized  into  Christ,  raised  from  the  death 
of  sin,  fed  with  angels'  food,  and  your  heart  filled  with  "  Ho- 
saunas."     "  Will  you  go"  in  this  pathway  with  Jesus  ? 

5.  The  Word  Exercise. 

This  class  includes  exercises,  in  which  two  or  more  pas- 
sages or  statements  are  bound  together  by  a  common  word. 
For  example : 

What  will  you  have? — (See  Prov.  xxiii,  29.) 

THEY  THAT  tsTeykL0NmgiaIethde  WINE, 


\\    II A  1    A*    <&    iiA    -^^UKDNKSS  OF  EYES. 

willII fl  IIP y 'sssr* 


SAMPLE     ROOM 


The  words  "What  will  you — (have)"  are  not  to  be  writ- 
ten until  after  all  the  others  havebeen  written  and  spoken 
of.  Illustrations  for  this  exercise  may  be  taken  from  the 
following 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        79 


"Specimens  of  the  Work  Done  Inside." 

A  young  man  in  prison  had  such  a  strong  thirst  for  intox- 
.cating  liquor  that  he  cut  off  his  hand  at  the  wrist,  called  for 
a  bowl  of  "brandy  in  order  to  stop  the  bleeding,  thrust  his 
wrist  into  the  bowl,  and  then  drank  the  contents. 

A  wife  was  dangerously  sick  and  her  husband  went  for 
her  medicine.  On  the  way  home  he  stopped  to  drink  with 
a  friend  ;  one  glass  led  to  others  ;  after  a  long  time  he  came 
home  stupefied  with  drink,  and  threw  himself  upon  the  bed 
where  the  helpless  wife  was  lying  in  mortal  agony.  He 
woke  at  midnight,  startled  by  a  terrible  thunder  storm  that 
was  raging,  and  found  his  wife  cold  in  death  at  his  side. 

In  a  village  near  Boston,  an  old  man,  the  slave  of  appe- 
tite, endeavored  to  get  some  liquor  as  a  medicine,  being 
unable  to  get  it  as  a  drink.  He  said  he  needed  it  on  account 
of  trouble  with  his  feet.  Being  suspected,  he  was  told  he 
could  use  it  in  the  drug-store,  but  could  not  carry  it  away. 
He  poured  it  into  his  boots,  and  was  seen  a  few  minutes  later 
behind  a  fence,  greedily  drinking  the  liquor  from  his  boots. 

Nay,  more,  a  slave  of  this  habit,  unable  to  buy  any  liquor, 
stole  and  drank  the  spirits  with  which  a  corpse  had  been 
bathed  a  few  hours  before  ! 

6.  Phrase  Exercise. 
This  class  comprises  those  exercises  in  which  a  common 
phrase  binds  together  several  passages.     For  example  : 

Elisha's  Defenders. — 2  Kings  vi,  16. 

"THE   LORD  OF  HOSTS  IS   WTHpiT     TT^J 
"  THEY  THAT  BE  VV  i.  i.  H      U  U 

ARE   MORE   THAN   THEY 

THAT   BE 

WITH    THEM." 

« IF  GOD  BE  FOR  US 

WHO  CAN  BE  AGAINST  US?" 


80 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


When  London  was  shaken  with  the  great  earthquake,  and 
houses  were  falling  on  every  side ;  when  the  ground  rocked 
like  the  sea  in  a  storm,  and  men  cried  for  mercy,  thinking 
the  end  of  all  things  had  come,  Wesley  gathered  his  little 
band  of  Christians  in  their  chapel  and  read  calmly  to  them, 
as  they  responded  in  many  a  deep  and  fervent  amen,  the 
Forty-sixth  Psalm :  "  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very 
present  help  in  trouble.  Therefore  will  not  we  fear,  though 
the  earth  be  removed,"  etc. 

The   expression  "The  Lord  was   with "  is  associated 

with  Joseph,  Moses,  Daniel,  David,  etc.  These  also  may  be 
grouped  into  a  phrase  exercise,  and  the  application  made  to  the 
passage  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  is  with  us."  In  the  pit  where 
Joseph  was  cast,  the  basket-cradle  of  Moses,  the  den  of  lions, 
and  the  other  places  of  trial  in  the  lives  of  those  mentioned / 
God  was  with  them. 

7.  Table  Exercise. 

This  class  comprises  those  exercises  in  which  several  pas 
sages  or  thoughts  are  grouped  into  some  sort  of  a  table 
For  example : 

Blessing  and  Cursing. —Having  told  the  school  to  find 
in  the  Bible,  during  the  previous  week,  six  things  that  God 
hates,  and  eight  things  that  God  blesses,  hinting,  if  necessary, 
that  somewhere  in  Proverbs  and  Matthew  the  information 
may  be  found,  put  on  the  board,  before  the  opening  of  the 
school,  what  is  below  except  the  words  which  follow  the  fig- 
ures in  each  row.  These  should  be  drawn  from  the  school 
by  questions,  when  the  blackboard  exercise  is  explained, 
near  the  close  of  the  session  : 


THUS  SAITH  THE  LORD 


I  Hate- 


fl.  A  proud  look. 
2.  A  lying:  tongue. 
8.  A  wicked  hand. 
4.  A  wicked  beart. 
6.  Mischievous  feet 
6.  A  false  witness. 

#w.  vi,  1G-1& 


Blessed  abb  the- 


'  1.  Poor  in  spirit. 
2.  Mourners. 
8.  Meek. 

4.  Truth-hungry. 

5.  Merciful. 

6.  Pure  in  heart 

7.  Peace-makers. 

8.  Persecuted. 

Matt,  v,  S-1Q. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        81 

Below  the  first  group  write,  "They  shall  call  on  the  rocks  and 
nills  to  hide  them  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb."  Under  the 
other,  "  These  are  they  that  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever 
he  goeth." 

The  first  verses  of  the  First  Psalm  may  be  used  above  these 
groups  at  the  close,  giving  the  present  condition  of  things,  as 
the  passages  below  give  the  future: 

"BLESSED 

Is  the  man  that  walketh 

NOT  BUT 

In  the  Counsel  His  delight  is 

of  the  in  the 

Ungodly,  Law  of  the  Lord." 

(Those  things  hated.)  (Those  things  blessed.) 

Gospel  Idea  of  a  Man. 
Faith. 
Virtue. 
Knowledge. 
("  Add.")        Temperance. 
Patience. 

Brotherly  Kindness. 
Charity. 

Total—A  TRUE  MAN. 

God  is  not  satisfied  with  pet  virtues ;  with  good  temper- 
ance men  who  have  no  brotherly  kindness;  with  faith  in 
those  who  have  not  charity ;  with  virtue,  but  not  according 
to  knowledge.  We  are  to  "  add"  these  together,  having  the 
faith  that  mounts  up  on  wings  as  eagles,  the  virtue  that 
shall  run  and  not  be  weary,  the  patience  that  shall  walk  and  not 
faint,  the  brotherly  kindness  that  beareth  all  things,  and  the 
charity  that  never  faileth. 
6 


82        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

8.  The  Acrostic  Exercise. 

The  acrostic  exercise  binds  several  passages  or  points  to- 
gether by  their  initial  letters  being  formed  into  the  impor- 
tant word  of  the  lesson  or  address.     For  example : 

Jesus  in  the  Temple. 

OUR;  Found, 
Arguing, 
Iemple, 

HOW  THAT  YEilefl™?     _ 
(  sought  me  ? 

JJNGAGED,  (in  Father's  business.) 

Jlleturned. 

The  word  "Our"  and  the  acrostic  letters  "Father"  in 
red,  and  the  rest  in  white. 

Watchfulness. 

WATCH 
YOUR 

W  ORDS, 

Actions, 
Ihoughts, 
(jompany. 
Hearts,  j.  &  watt. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


83 


^ 


o 


LLO 


ME, 

To  HEAR, 
OBEY, 
IMITATE. 


^ 


"Follow  Me."     (Luke  ix,  51-62.) 

o  onstantly, 
jllumbly, 
Jlxeverently, 
jl  mmediately. 

k5  UPREMELY, 

_L  RUSTINGLY. 

Fred.  C.  EUiott. 
9.  Parallel  and  Contrast  Exercises. 

This  division  includes  those  exercises  where  different  pas- 
sages or  thoughts  are  arranged  to  parallel  or  contrast  with 
each  other  to  show  similarity  or  antitheses. 

It  is  useful  to  set  before  a  school  "  life  and  death,  blessing 
and  cursing,"  to  bring  out  the  contrasts  in  the  life  of  Christ 
and  in  Christian  character,  etc. 

The  Two  Temptations. 

EDEN.  WILDERNESS. 

THE    SECOND    ADAM. 

1.  EAT— 

2.  ALL  THESE  KINGDOMS. 

3.  CAST  THYSELF  DOWN. 

"Get  to  kid  no." 

CAME  AND 

DROVE  HIM  FORTH.  |        MINISTERED  UNTO  HIM. 

Satan  is  the  same  shrewd  tempter  in  the  wilderness  as  in 
Eden.  He  first  tries  appetite,  then  ambition,  and  then  per- 
verts the  word  of  God.  The  father  of  lies  said  to  Adam,  "  Ye 
shall  be  as  gods."  See  him  who  was  to  be  "  as  gods  "  sneak- 
ing in  the  bushes.  He  said  to  Christ,  "  I  will  give  you  all 
the  kingdoms  of  the  world,"  when  he  did  not  own  enough  to 
rest  his  foot  on.  Temptation  comes  to-day,  first  to  appetite; 
then,  for  the  power  of  wealth  or  fame,  we  are  urged  to 
wrong-doing  j  then  we  are  tempted  to  "  cast  ourselves  down  " 


THE    PIEST    ADAM. 

1.  EAT— 

2.  YE  SHALL  BE  AS  GODS. 

8.  YE  SHALL  NOT  SURELY  DIE. 


"  I  hid  mvse 


}» 


V     ANGELS 


84        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

into  soul-dangers,  and  even  into  eternity  unprepared,  and 
trust  to  God's  angels.  Cancel  the  three  temptations  with 
"It  is  written" 

10.  Over-chalking  or  Canceling  Exercise. 

Very  many  impressive  exercises  may  be  made  by  canceling  a 
word  or  sentence  with  a  better  or  brighter  one.   For  example : 

The  Pre-eminence  op  Jesus,   at  the  Transfiguration. 

1.  Law — Moses. 

2.  Prophets — Eltas. 

3.  Gospels — John. 

4.  Epistles — Peter  and  James. 

Write  in  some  brightly-colored  chalk,  "  Hear  ye  him  " 
over  the  first  row,  after  talking  about  it  as  it  stands ;  then 
write  "  JESUS  ONLY"  over  the  other  row. 

Instead  of  the  books  we  shall  see  "  Hear  ye  him ;"  instead 
of  the  men,  "  Jesus  only."  As  we  look  upon  the  mount, 
Peter  and  James  and  John  are  on  their  faces;  Moses  and 
Elias  have  faded  out  in  the  brightness  of  Christ's  glory,  and 
we  "  see  no  man  save  Jesus  only"  Below  the  above  exercise 
print  as  follows : 

iiMoT  WHAT  THEY  g£ 

Write  in  red  chalk,  over  the  parts  opposite  "  Look,"  the 
following,  to  cancel  the  error,  "to  Jesus  only."  So,  after 
"  Hear,"  the  following,  "  ye  him." 

First,  the  exercise  standing  as  it  is  above,  show  how  we 
measure  and  plan  by  those  strange  yard-sticks  and  mirrors 
"What  they  think"  and  "What  they  do"  and  how  we 
always  have  a  hand  to  the  ear  for  "What  they  say"  Then 
cancel  these  errors,  and  let  the  revised  exercise  read,  "  Look 
to  Jesus  only  " — "  Hear  ye  him," 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


85 


The  Oil  Increased.  2  Kings  iv,  1-7. 


I.  Write  on  the  board  the  words  WIDOW,  ELISHA, 
MIRACLE,  as  the  three  points  of  importance  in  the  lesson. 
II.  Show  the  condition  of  the  widow.  It  was  of  Afflic- 
tion, Debt,  Poverty,  Slavery.  [As  each  word  is  given  by  the 
school  write  it  down.]  III.  What  the  woman  did.  She  told 
Elisha.;  asked  his  help;  believed  his  word;  obeyed  his  com- 
mand. IV.  Next  illustrate  the  process  of  the  miracle. 
Door  was  shut ;  oil  was  increased ;  vessels  filled ;  debt  paid. 
V.  Now,  its  spiritual  application.  The  condition  of  the  widow 
is  the  condition  of  all.  [Either  write  this  word  over  the 
word  widow,  or  erase  it,  and  substitute  for  it.]  So,  what 
she  did  to  Elisha,  we  may  do  to  JESUS.  [Substitute  Jesus 
for  Elisha,  or  chalk  the  word  over  it.]  The  miracle  is  a  type 
of  Salvation.     [Substitute  or  over-chalk  as  above.] 

UA/M/r 


86 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


The  words  All,  Jesus,  Salvation,  may  be  written  with  large, 
square  chalk,  one  inch  in  diameter,  or  with  the  flat  side  of 
an  ordinary  crayon.  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 

Meaning  of  the  Cross.  1    Cor.  i,  23;    Acts    xviii,    1-11  • 

1  Cor.  1-23. 


1.  Draw  a  cross  about  the  center  of  the  board.  2.  The 
three  classes  of  which  the  lesson  speaks.  Write  in  yellow, 
Jews ;  in  blue,  Greeks;  in  white,  Believers.  Below,  as  in  the 
diagram,  the  word  SEEKING.  3.  Now,  what  were  the  Jews 
seeking?  A  Sign,  [yellow.]  The  Greeks  ?  Wisdom,  [bine.] 
Believers?  Salvation,  [white.]  4.  Next  write,  as  in  the  dia- 
gram, FIND.  The  Jews  found  in  the  cross — Stumbling- 
block,  [yellow.]  The  Greeks,  etc.  5.  Finally,  the  result. 
Write,  in  heavy  chalk,  over  one  side,  Perish  ;  on  the  other, 
Saved.  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 


f  fiROUGEt  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.  87 

11.  The  Erasing  Exercise. 

Similar  to  the  canceling  exercise  is  the  erasing  exercise,  in 
which  the  eraser  is  used  to  rub  out  one  word,  or  passage 
sometimes,  in  order  to  substitute  another. 

Loving  Jesus. 

George  A.  Peltz  gives  a  very  striking  exercise  of  this  class. 
At  first  on  the  board  there  is  this  sentence : 

"WHY    DO    I    LOYE    JESUS?" 

After  talking  a  little  of  this  to  those  who  love  Jesus  he  rubs 
out  "  Why,"  and  "Do  I  love  Jesus?"  is  his  next  point.  Then 
he  rubs  out  "  Do  "  and  the  interrogation  point,  and  "  I  love 
Jesus"  stands  before  the  school.  Then  "I"  is  rubbed  out, 
and  the  exhortation  "  Love  Jesus  "  remains.  Then  "  Love" 
is  erased,  and  "Jesus"  is  the  only  word  the  children  see, 
which  suggests  the  passage,  "  They  saw  no  man  save  Jesus 
only." 

How  to  be  Happy  This  Year. 

For  New  Year's  Day  the  subjoined  exercise  may  be  em- 
ployed.    Print  on  the  board — 

A    NEW   YEAE. 

Ask  the  children,  "  What  was  the  first  thing  you  said  this 
morning  ?  "  ("  A  Happy  New  Year.")  "  What  did  you  hear 
those  words  with?"  ("Ear.")  Rub  out  "  Y."  Then,  "What 
do  you  do  with  the  ear  ?  "  ("  Hear.")  Put  on  "  H  "  before 
"  ear."  "  Now  how  shall  we  make  the  new  year  a  happy  one  ? 
If  we  are  not  Christians  what  must  we  have  to  be  happy?" 
("A  New  Heart.")  Add  "T,"  and  finish  the  talk  with  the 
words  before  the  eyes  of  all — 

"A    NEW    HEART. 
This  is  given  briefly,  by  memory,  from  "The  Blackboard." 


88 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART, 


1.  Write  GOD  as  the  beginning.  Next,  SERVE  GOD. 
"The  TIME."  When?  YOUTH.  2.  Reasons.  [Write  each 
word  as  the  reason  is  announced.]  Youth  is  the  Best  time ; 
develops  character.  It  is  the  Easiest  time.  It  is  a  Glad 
time  ;  early  conversions  are  happy  conversions.  Important, 
as  the  period  when  habits  are  formed.  Noblest,  more  honor- 
able to  give  God  the  bloom  of  life.  3.  Erase  all  of  the  col- 
umn of  words  except  the  initials,  and  show  the  duty.  Begin 
to  Serve  God.  4.  Write  at  the  foot  of  the  column,  NOW. 
The  moment  when  we  should  begin  to  serve  God. 

Rev.  J,  L.  Hurlbut. 
The  following  incident  may  be  used  for  illustration  : 
Richard  Walter  was  on  his  way  to  school  with  his  slate  and  books  neatly 
strapped  in  a  bundle,  when  he  felt  a  hand  resting  on  his  shoulder,  and  turn- 
ing around  he  saw  a  gentleman  who  said:  "I  see  you  have  a  slate  in  your 
bundle;  I  suppose  you  have  an  arithmetic  too.  What  do  you  cipher  in?" 
"Long  division,"  said  Richard.  "Will  you  let  me  try  to  work  a  question 
in  long  division  on  your  slate  ?"  the  man  asked.  Richard  looked  at  him  in 
astonishment,  and  scarcely  knew  what  answer  to  make.  However,  Richard 
thought  that  lie  would  Bee  what  the  man  would  do.  and  he  unbuckled  his 
bundle,  and  handed  slate  and  pencil  to  the  gentleman.     The  stranger  took 


Through  the  eye  to  the  heart.      89 

them,  and,  stepping  to  the  side  of  the  path,  figured  away  in  silence  for  a  few 
minutes.  By  the  time  he  had  finished  some  other  boys  came  along,  and 
stopped  to  see  what  was  going  on.  '•  Good  morning,  boys,"  said  the  gentle- 
man. "  Here's  a  question  in  long  division  I've  been  trying  to  work  out.  and 
I  want  you  to  see  if  it's  right."  Richard  took  the  slate,  while  the  boys 
.ooked  over  his  shoulder  at  these  figures : 

29)384,605(12,572 
29 

74 

58 

166 
145 

210 
203 

75 
38 

17 

"Wrong!"  "Wrong!"  "It  is  wrong!  "  shouted  several  voices  at  once. 
"Where  is  it  wrong?"  asked  the  gentleman.  "Why,"  said  Richard,  "you 
made  a  mistake  almost  at  the  very  start.  Nine  from  eighteen  leaves  nine, 
you've  seven."  "Is  that  the  only  mistake?"  said  the  man.  w  That  is  all 
I  see,"  said  Richard.  "I  guess  the  rest  is  all  right,"  said  another  boy. 
"Work  out  the  question  yourself,  and  let  me  see  the  result,"  said  the  gentle- 
man to  Richard.  When  he  had  done  it  the  gentleman  said  :  "  Tour  quotient 
is  13,262,  and  is  right.  Mine  was  12,572,  and  is  wrong;  and  the  boys  were 
all  wrong  in  saying  that  the  only  mistake  was  that  made  in  the  beginning, 
for  as  that  was  wrong  every  thing  that  followed  it  was  wrong.  Those  figures^ 
though  right  in  themselves,  gave  me  a  wrong  answer  because  of  the  error 

IN  THE  BEGINNING. 

Christian  Growth. 
Mr.  C.  B.  Stout,  of  New  Jersey,  makes  an  excellent  address 
on  Christian  work  and  growth  on  the  following  plan.  He 
first  writes  "  Go,"  and  speaks  of  the  importance  of  going 
somewhere.  Then  he  adds  "  Right,"  making  "  Go  Right," 
and  speaks  of  that.  Then  he  adds  "  On,"  which  makes  "  Go 
Right  On,"  his  third  point.  After  developing  that  thought 
he  writes  "  Working,"  and  his  fourth  point  is 

GO 

RIGHT 
ON 

WORKING. 
After  emphasizing  this  he  erases  all  except  the  initials,  leav- 
ing the  exhortation,  "  GROW." 


90        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

12.  Word-Symbol  Exercise. 
This  class  includes  all  those  exercises  in  which  passages  oi 
Scripture  or  other  words  are  shaped  into  symbols  of  Bible 
truth,  as  crosses,  stars,  plows,  shields,  ships,  roads,  etc.     For 
example : 

The  Precious  Cross. 

H  E 

I  S 


PRECIOUS 


BLOOD 
PROMISES 
FAITH 

TO  YOU 
THAT 

BELIEVE. 

See  1  Pet.  i,  ii ;  2  Pet.  i.  First  and  last,  Christ  is  "  pre- 
cious "  to  all  that  believe.  His  "  blood  "  is  precious,  and  also 
the  "  promises  "  and  "  faith  "  by  which  we  claim  and  apply  it 
to  our  hearts.  The  whole  forms  the  "  precious  "  cross.  It 
would  be  well  to  ask  on  the  Sunday  previous  to  the  use  of 
this  that  the  scholars  should  find  every  thing  that  Peter  calls 
"  precious."  Then  write  only  u  Precious  "  on  the  board  before 
the  school,  getting  the  remainder  from  the  scholars.  The  cross, 
as  it  is  the  most  prominent  symbol  of  our  holy  religion,  is 
often  formed  in  a  way  similar  to  that  just  indicated,  in  black- 
board exercises,  as  the  following  examples  will  show : 

Thou 


shalt 
cal  1 
HIS 

*  Believe  on  T  p^r0  an  1  thou  shalt  "  Come    unto  Tl/T  17  and  be  saved." 

the  L  O  R  D  J  hb  l)  0  be    save  d.m  "  My  son,  give  IVl  l!i  thine    heart." 


I  love 
them 
that 
love 


for  he  <fc  they 

shall  that 

save  •  seek 

H  IS  ME 

Fcople  e  a  rly 

rom  shall 

their  find 

si N8.  J.  S.  Ottrander.  MLC.  liev'dfrom I.W,  C 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.  91 

The  Yoke  op  Christ. 


come  unto  me  allyethat  labok  and  are 


My  Yoke  is  Easy.  (Matt,  xi,  30.) 
I  place  first  upon  the  board  the  two  IPs.  I  am  about  to 
address  you  and  you,  each  of  you.  I  want  the  ears  and  eyes 
of  all.  We  are  carrying  burdens,  guilt,  sin,  weighed  down 
under  the  wrath  of  God.  We  are  tired  of  sin,  a  burden ;  we 
are  heavy  laden.  Jesus  says,  "  Come  unto  me,"  etc.  Will 
you  come  ?  He  will  tell  you  how  to  get  rid  of  this  load.  He 
will  teach  you.  He  says,  "Learn  of  Me"  How ?  Why ? 
You  want  rest.  "I will  give  you  rest"  How  ?  " Take  my 
yoke  upon  you"  How  can  we  get  rest  by  taking  another 
yoke  upon  us  ?  His  yoke  is  easy.  We  bear  the  yoke.  Christ 
bears  our  sins,  etc.  "  Cast  thy  burden  on  the  Lord,"  or 
Jesus,  often.  "Great  peace  have  they  that  love  thy  law;"  all 
joy,  etc.  Burdens  light ;  "  These  light  afflictions,"  etc.  The  in- 
vitation, " Come  unto  ME  all  ye  that  labor  and"  etc.  The 
owner  brings  the  yoke,  and  the  oxen  come  tinder  it.  They 
assist  in  reaping  the  fields,  and  in  winter  live  on  the  harvest, 
etc.  Sometimes  we  see  one  ox  lying  down  and  the  other 
standing,  both  joined  to  one  yoke,  one  ready  for  work*  the 


M 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


other  at  case.      So  Christ  waits  for  the  idle  Christian.     "  Wo( 
unto  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion." — J.  S.  Ostrander. 

The  Milestones  of  the  Narrow  Way. 

In  the  city  of  Rome  distances  were  measured  by  milestones 
that  counted  in  each  direction  from  the  golden  milestone  in 
the  public  square.  So  all  along  our  way  God  puts  up  the 
milestones  of  the  promises,  beginning  with  the  Golden  Mile- 
stone of  Conversion. 

Make  the  outline  of  a  road,  with  milestones,  each  formed  of 
the  words  of  a  promise. 

13.     The  Map  Exercise. 

This  class  includes  simply  geographical  outlines  and  maps 
on  the  blackboard.  Whenever  the  geography  of  a  lesson  is 
to  be  brought  out,  no  means  is  more  useful  than  a  blackboard 
outline,  on  which  the  scholars  can  direct  the  blackboard  de- 
lineator in  marking  the 
prominent  points. 

A  map  whose  con- 
struction the  eye  has  wit- 
nessed will  be  retained 
more  readily  and  vividly 
in  the  mind  than  one  far 
more  elaborate  displayed 
when  complete.  The  lack 
of  exactness  and  finish 
will  be  more  than  com- 
pensated in  the  distinct- 
ness and  impressiveness 
attained. 

The  outline  here  pre- 
sented will  be  a  conven- 
ient form  of  carrying 
the  shape  of  Palestine 
in  the  memory. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


93 


The  plan  we  have  just  given  and  described  is  designed  sim- 
ply to  afford  the  teacher  an  easy  mode  of  drawing  an  outline 
of  Palestine ;  but  when  one  has  thus  been  made,  only  one  or 
two  points  in  the  country,  those  that  are  to  be  connected  with 
the  lesson,  should  be  brought  out,  and  no  irrelevant  parts  of 
the  map  delineated.  We  insert  two  most  excellent  illustra- 
tions of  this,  which  have  been  contributed  to  this  book-by  Mrs. 
Samuel  W.  Clark.     The  first  is  on 


I 


m 


Saul's  Conversion. 

In  connection  with  this 
•D.  journey  from  J.  (Jerusa- 
lem) to  D.  (Damascus) 
the  story  of  Saul's  per- 
secuting spirit,  the  light, 
the  voice,  the  blindness 
with  which  he  entered 
Damascus,  and  the  other 
interesting  incidents  of 
his  conversion,  may  be 
described.  Some  writer 
has  said  of  this  scene  that 
"Christ  himself  stood  as 
lipilll  ,'  S  sentry  for  his  little  Church 

llllJl  Jjt  £  at  Damascus,  and   saved 

it  from  its  bitterest  perse- 
cutor." 

The  following  Sabbath 
the  map  was  continued  and  enlarged  to  include  a  part  of 
Paul's  first  missionary  journey. 

Paul,  the  First  Missionary. 

A  careful  reading  of  the  Scripture  narrative  (Acts  ix-xiii, 

13)  will  give  the  journey  indicated  upon  this  map.    A.  is  An- 

tioch  in  Syria,  S.  is  Seleucia,   Sa.  is  Salamis,  Ph.  is  Paphos, 

P,  is  Perga,   A.  P.  is  Antioch  in  Pisidia,  and  I.  is  Iconium. 


u 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


A  study  of  the  history  will  enable  the  teacher  to  tell  the  story, 
not  in  stereotyped  phrases,  but  as  an  interesting  narrative  of 
a*  p. 


>D, 


travel.  As  the  history  of  Paul  is  continued  on  following  Sab- 
baths, the  new  countries  may  be  added  and  the  three  journeys 
kept  distinct  by  three  different  colors  of  chalk.  Only  a  little 
will  be  added  to  the  map  at  once,  and  that  thoroughly  ex- 
plained, so  that  at  the  close  a  life-long  remembrance  of  Paul's 
wanderings  will  be  secured.  An  interesting  exercise  may  be 
conducted  with  this  map,  such  as  is  suggested  on  pages  58, 
59.  The  school  may  be  divided  into  sections,  each  of  them 
having  one  of  Paul's  journeys,  on  which  they  are  to  prepare. 
Then  beginning  with  the  map,  as  on  page  130,  the  line  may 
be  increased  and  the  places  added,  one  after  another,  until  all 
the  journeys  of  Paul  are  completed,  and  he  has  "  finished  his 
course."  Appropriate  selections  of  Scripture,  hymns,  recita- 
tions, and  readings  will  add  to  the  interest  of  the  exercise. 
The  whole  may  be  named,  "  From  Damascus  to  Rome," 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


95 


Dr.  M'Cook,  in  a  map  which  he  made  upon  the  blackboard 
at  an  institute  in  Philadelphia,  took  the  Sea  of  Galilee  as  a 
unit  of  measure,  and  about  one  length  above  it  placed  Lake 
Merom ;  about  six  lengths  below,  measuring  by  the  eye  sim- 
ply, the  Dead  Sea,  making  a  crooked  line  to  connect  them, 
as  the  Jordan,  with  small  streams  branching  out  from  it  at 
appropriate  places ;  about  three  lengths  to  the  left  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee  he  made  Mount  Carmel,  and  then  slanted  the  line 
inward  above  and  outward  below,  and,  after  a  few  additions 
of  mountains  and  towns  connected  with  the  locality  he  de- 
sired to  speak  of,  the  map  presented  a  very  good  representa- 
tion of  Palestine.  If  a  variety  of  colors  are  used  for  water, 
shore,  mountains,  towns,  rivers,  etc.,  it  will  add  greatly  to 
the  clearness  and  beauty  of  the  map. 

If  the  scholars  can  be  induced  to  reproduce  these  maps  from 
memory  on  their  slates  at  home,  and  afterward  bring  them  to 
their  teachers,  it  will  fix  them  yet  more  clearly  in  their  mind. 

Sometimes  it  is  well  to  make  a  local  map  without  the 
outline  of  the  country  as  its  frame-work,  as  the  following  for 
Christ  at  Jacob's  Well. 


******** 


VALY.  OF  NABLUS.  JOTS0E™S    J 


NABLUS 


JACOBS  WELL 


AfT.GE 


^K*^m**0&0f  * 


96        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

14.  The  Outline  Exercise. 

Last  and  best  of  all  is  the  outline  exercise — outline  drawings 
for  the  illustration  of  truth. 

Most  of  the  outlines  are  only  the  putting  into  chalk  of  Bible 
metaphors  and  similes.  Those  of  this  kind  are  by  far  the  best, 
and  seldom  is  it  well  to  represent  any  other  outlines  on  a  Sab- 
bath-school blackboard.  We  might  make  one  important 
exception  in  favor  of  the  religious  symbols  of  the  Church, 
which  are  given  in  the  Appendix.  They  offer  a  wide  range 
for  appropriate  outline  exercises.  As  a  rule,  elaborate  out- 
lines are  not  desirable,  although  a  school  that  has  an  excel- 
lent artist  may  as  properly  have  a  beautiful  picture  on  one 
side  of  its  blackboard  as  on  its  wall.  In  almost  every  case 
the  simplest  outlines,  drawn  at  the  time  of  explanation,  with- 
out special  effort  at  ornament  or  perfection,  are  the  best. 

From  the  Cradle  to  the  Coffin. 

Mr.  Stout  makes  a  very  impressive  lesson  with  a  simple  line: 

0| 1 |  C 

He  tells  the  schools  that  the  line  they  see  is  the  picture  of 
every  human  life  from  the  cradle  to  the  coffin.  Every  one 
that  hears  him  is  at  some  point  on  that  line.  They  all  wish 
that  point  may  be  nearer  the  first  "  C  "  than  the  other,  but  it 
may  be  very  near  the  last,  etc.  The  same  excellent  speaker 
makes  an  impressive  exercise  for  teachers  by  making  two  u  Cs" 
as  above,  and  then  connecting  them  by  a  curve,  saying,  "  The 
teacher's  orbit  should  be  from  the  closet  of  prayer  to  the 
class;"  and  then,  making  another  curve  from  the  second  "C" 
back  to  the  first,  he  adds,  u  and  from  the  class  to  the  closet." 

Another  very  simple  exercise  comes  to  us  from  the  an- 
cients : 

"  Pythagoras  used  the  letter  Y  as  a  symbol  of  human  life. 
4  Remember,'  says  he,  c  that  the  foot  of  the  letter  represents 
infancy,  and  the  forked  top  the  two  paths  of  virtue  and  vice, 


THEOUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.        97 

one  or  the  other  of  which  people  are  to  enter  upon    after 
attaining  the  age  of  discretion." 

Another  exercise  as  simple  as  that  just  mentioned  is  to  rep- 
resent with  two  lines,  meeting  at  right  angles,  the  coming 
together  of 

Philip  and  the  Eunuch. 

After  the  story  of  their  journeys  and  meeting  is  told,  when 
the  separation  is  mentioned,  continue  the  lines  so  that  they 
will  form  a  cross. 

The  Treasurer  of  Candace  found  the  cross  as  Philip 
"  preached  unto  him  Jesus  "  from  the  fifty-third  of  Isaiah. 
When  the  Christian  is  willing  to  obey  the  leadings  of  the 
Spirit,  and  the  awakened  one  is  desiring  to  know  the  way, 
God's  providence  will  bring  them  together,  and  both  shall  be 
blessed.  "  Jesus  in  the  Old  Testament,"  u  Drawing  near 
to  those  we  would  benefit,"  "Preaching  Jesus  to  single  hear- 
ers by  the  roadside  and  fireside,"  and  other  such  topics,  may 
be  presented  from  this  story  and  outline. 

The  First  Love  Lost. 

Another  simple   exercise 
is    the   accompanying    star 
cross,    that    may    be    used 
i  )    ~         with    the  letter  to  the  Church 
at  Ephesus  in  Rev.  xi.     There 
are  seven  stars,  the  angels  of  the  seven 
Churches,  and  one  of  them  is  falling  for 
lack  of  love.     The   Church  at  Ephesus 
had  a  grand   record  in  some  respects — 
works  and   labor   and   patience,   indig- 
nation and  punishment  for  evil-doers,  en- 
durance, and  other  virtues,  but  all  was  in 
vain  for  lack  of  love:  "I  have  somewhat 
against  thee  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love."    A  similar 
failure  is  described  in  1  Corinthians  xiii. 
7 


lir& 


98  THROUGH  THE   EYE  TO   THE   HEART. 

The  Sea-Path.  (Exod.  xiv,  9,  19-22,  27.) 


MOUNTAIN. 


EGYPTIANS.       israel.       SE  A 

MOUNTAIN. 

Describe  the  situation  of  Israel.  The  enemy  behind,  mount- 
ains on  either  side,  the  sea  in  front.  But  God  opened  a  path 
through  the  sea.  Israel  went  over.  The  Egyptians  were 
drowned.  The  Egyptians  trusted  in  their  horses  and  chari- 
ots, Israel  trusted  in  God.  "  Some  trust  in  chariots"  etc. 
Psalm  xx,  7. 

Use  the  map  not  only  historically,  but  also  to  show  that 
when  God  bids  us  "  go  forward  "  he  always  clears  our  way 
as  we  go.  "  Though  we  pass  through  the  waters,  they  shall 
not  come  nigh  us."  "Though  a  host  should  encamp  against 
us,  in  God  shall  we  be  confident." 

The  Wandering  Path. 

An  excellent  illustration  of  the  going  forward  and  back- 
ward, the  faithfulness  and  faltering  of  many  Christians,  may 
be  made  by  drawing  the  crooked  line  of  the  journey  of  the 
Israelites  through  the  wilderness,  marking  not  only  prominent 
places,  but  also,  at  proper  points,  "Manna,"  "Brazen  serpent," 
"Water  from  the  rock,"  "Fowls  from  the  heavens,"  to  indi- 
cate God's  goodness;  and  such  passages  as  these,  at  other 
places,  when  they  begin  to  turn  back,  "  Much  discouraged," 
"Longing  for  flesh-pots,"  "Rebelling,"  "Golden  calf,"  etc., 
to  represent  not  only  the  historical  facts,  but  also  our  prone* 
ness  to  wander.* 

°A  concert  exercise  on  this  journey,  entitled  "The  Christian  Pil- 
grimage," has  been  prepared  by  the  author  of  this  book  in  connection  with 
Dr.  Eben  Tourje'e.  The  circulars  are  used  both  for  concert  and  praise 
meetings,  and  are  published  by  Eben  Shute,  40  Winter-street,  Boston,  Mass. 
Price,  $1  50  per  hundred. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


99 


Satan  and  the  Saviour. 

The  following  exercise  is  contributed  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Free- 
man, and  fully    explains  itself: 


ATAN, 

THE 

ERPENT 

BROUGHT 


WE  HAVE  A 


L°PK  JAVIOUR 

LIVE    i?/         WHO  BRINGS 


ALVATION 


Infant  Class  Blackboard  Lesson  :  * 
Visit  of  the  Wise  Men  to  Bethlehem — Matt,  ii,  1-12. 


^-jjEIR   GTJlbg  QtfB   G-TJID^ 


TO     JESUS. 


*  In  using  this  exercise  the  teacher  can  refer  to  several  passages  which 
speak  of  the  Bible  as  a  guide,  as,  for  instance,  Psalm  cxix,  105  ;  and  for  the 
reverse  refer  to  Pro  v.  xxiii,  26,  and  parallel  passages. 


100       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

[Reverse.) 


GOLD, 

Frankincense, 
Myrrh. 


our  G-i^y 

OUR 

HEARTS. 


—D.  13.  II. 


Temperance  Exercise. 


Temperance 


tfOUO? 


!]  BITES 
STINGS 
KILLS 


— Mrs.  Samuel  W.  Clark. 

Water  and  Rum. 
Draw  a  water  pitcher  and  rum  bottle,  and  make  on  them 


the  following  acrostic  exercises : 
Watchful, 
Active, 
Truthful, 
Excellent, 
Rich. 


Rascality, 
Uncle.inness, 
lTlurder. 


THROUGH  THE   EYE   TO   THE   HEART.  101 

Satan's  Spider- Web.* 


1.  Draw  in  advance  the  web,  covering  the  whole  board. 

2.  Write  in  each  compartment,  in  order,  Bad  Company, 
Bad  Habits,  Bad  Tempers,  Lying,  Dishonesty,  and  Irreligion, 
and  as  each  is  written,  in  presence  of  the  school,  show  its 
danger  and  evil  influence.  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 

Salvation  of  the  Prodigal.  Luke  xv,  1 1-32. 


|  Ingratitude, 
"j  Selfishness. 
J  Wickedness. 
(P/y     —  I  Want. 
^       H  Woe. 


vv\>°     I  Honors. 

^V     [  Receives. 

>     _|  Pities. 

j  Sees. 

_J  Watches. 


,x  ;       j  Confesses. 

<§T  __|  Seeks. 
_J  Starts. 

|  Kesolves. 

I  Thinks. 


|  Displeased. 

j>     —  |  Unkind. 
<£X     — |  Fault-finding. 
4^  |  Jealous. 


*  May  be  easily  adapted  to  lessons  on  1  Kings  xii,  25-33  ;  2  Kings  v, 
20-27  ;  2  Kings  xvii,  6-18. 


102       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

1.  The  steps  of  the  Prodigal  away  from  his  Father. 

2.  The  steps  of  the  Son  back  to  the  Father. 

3.  The  steps  of  the  Father  toward  the  Son. 

4.  The  steps  of  the  Brother  away  from  his  Father. 

The  prodigal  counted  on  a  father's  frown  and  a  servant's 
place,  and  a  life  of  hard  service  at  his  home ;  but  instead  of 
the  frown  the  father  cut  short  his  confession  with  loving  em- 
braces, and  before  he  could  ask  for  a  servant's  place  the 
father  called  for  the  ring  and  best  robe ;  instead  of  the  serv- 
ants' table  he  sat  down  to  the  fatted  calf  at  the  father's  side ; 
instead  of  being  hurried  into  the  fields  to  work  they  began 
to  be  merry  with  his  "  welcome  home." — Anonymous. 

The  following  Normal  Class  Paper  of  Rev.  Dr.  Vincent 
might  be  used  as  a  concise  outline  for  discussing,  in  a  teach- 
ers' meeting  or  convention,  the  whole  field  of  illustration 
treated  in  this  volume : 

The  Laws  op  Illumination. 

1.  There  is  great  power  in  the  Light. 

[It  arrests  attention.  It  holds  attention.  It  intensifies  attention. 
It  rewards  attention.] 

2.  There  is  such  a  thing  as  putting  light  into  lessons.  Lesson  illumina- 
tion is  very  important. 

3.  A  definition. 

Lesson  illumination  is  the  employment  of  those  elements  in  teaching 
by  which  the  delighted  attention  of  the  pupil  is  attracted  toward 
a  lesson,  and  its  instructions  rendered  more  clear  to  his  under- 
standing. 

4.  Peculiarities  of  the  pupil  to  be  understood  in  attempting  to  attract  him 
to  a  lesson. 

1.  The  pupil  delights  in  seeing. 

2.  The  pupil  delights  in  imagining. 

3.  The  pupil  delights  in  comparing. 

4.  The  pupil  delights  in  knowing. 

6.  Means  of  illumination  adapted  to  the  pupil's  peculiarities. 

1.  The  sight. 

Objects,  diagrams,  maps,  pictures,  action. 

2.  The  imagination. 
Word-pictures,  stories. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       103 

3.  Comparisons. 

Similes,  metaphors,  parables,  types,  symbols,  analogies. 

4.  Knowledge. 

History,  science,  art,  travels,  Biblical  truths. 
The  laws  of  illumination. 

1.  The  best  light  to  shed  on  a  Bible  lesson  is  Bible  light. 

The  teacher  should  therefore  make  a  large  use  of  Bible  facts,  nar- 
ratives, parables. 

2.  To  use  Bible-light  in  illuminating  a  lesson,  the  teacher  should  be 

very  familiar  with  the  history,  geography,  poetry,  manners,  and 
customs  of  Bible  times,  etc. 

3.  The  teacher  should  use  freely  and  wisely  the  facts  of  every-day 

life,  with  which  his  pupils  are  most  familiar. 

4.  Illustrations  are  multiplied  by  the  habit  of  observation. 

5.  The  teacher  should  study  the  masters  of  illustration  m  books, 

in  sermons,  essays,  etc. 

6.  He  should  keep  scrap-books  for  the  preservation  of  illustrative 

material. 

7.  He  should  acquire  facility  in  the  use  of  illustration  by  patient 

and  constant  practice. 

8.  The  teacher  should  use  illustrations  for  the  better  teaching  of  the 

lesson,  never  to  fill  up  time,  to  amuse  the  class,  or  to  display  his 
genius. 

9.  He  should  not  use  too  many  illustrations. 

10.  He  should,  by  an  apt  illustration  at  the  beginning  of  the  lesson, 

excite  the  curiosity  of  his  pupils,  and  thus  lead  them  to  solf- 
activity  in  study. 

11.  He  should  remember  that  the  best  illustrations  are  those  which 

come  spontaneously  while  he  is  endeavoring  to  make  clear  tc 
his  pupils  a  truth  which  is  clear  to  himself. 

12.  He  should  remember  that  in  word-picturing  the  pupil  will  acquire 

no  more  vivid  view  of  the  lesson  than  the  teacher  himself  pos- 


13.  He  should  never  unnecessarily  use  visible  and  material  things  to 

illustrate  spiritual  truth. 

14.  He  should  converse  much  with  children  and  plain  people  during 

the  week  on  the  subject  of  the  lesson. 

15.  To  live  a  godly  life  is  the  best  way  to  light  up  a  lesson  that  a 

teacher  can  possibly  employ. 

16.  He  should  always  do  the  very  best  in  his  power,  and  trust  results 

with  the  Master  whom  he  serves. 


104 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


Thus  we  have  spoken  of  the  seven  departments  of  eye 
teaching.     They  should  ever  be  as  the  seven  golden  candle- 
sticks of  Revelation,  not  attracting  the  eyes  of  men  to  them- 
selves, but  only  revealing  the  glory  of  Him  who  cried  from 
their  midst, 

"I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  The  Beginning  and  the  End- 
ing, The  First  and  the  Last." 


PATMOS. 


BLACKBOARD    EXERCISES 


AND 


OBJECT    ILLUSTRATIONS 

FOR  THE  INTERNATIONAL  LESSONS  OE 

1877. 


SEED-THOUGHT  FOR  OBJECT  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


•++0- 


The  Fan  and  Sibte.   Luke  iii,  IT;  xxii,  31;  Acta  xiii,  1-13. 

The  sieve  is  used,  of  course,  to  sift  out  the  good  flour,  and  leave  only  the 
useless  bran,  and  so  the  devil  desires  to  sift  out  all  that  is  good  in  us  and 
leave  only  what  is  bad.  The  fan,  in  Eastern  countries,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  used  to  fan  away  the  chaff,  and  leave  only  pure  wheat,  (see  Bible  Dic- 
tionary,) and  so  Christ  would  purge  us  of  "the  chaff"  of  our  natures  and 
leave  only  "the  wheat  of  our  highest  virtue."  Satan  can  only  "desire  "  to 
sift  us;  Christ  can  only  "pray  for  us "  that  we  may  come  to  his  purging — 
the  decision  is  our  own. 

Having  a  fan  and  sieve,  with  these  seed-thoughts  an  interesting  object- 
lesson  may  be  given.     See  also  Psa.  i,  4;  Isa.  i,  25. 

The  Watch 

has  been  used  in  various  ways  for  object-lessons.  There  are  three  excellent 
lessons  that  may  be  taught  with  it :  1.  The  world  shows  evidence  of  a 
Creator  and  Preserver.  Show  the  intricate  machinery  and  the  wonderful 
workings  of  the  watch.  These  could  not  become  so  by  chance  or  accident. 
Some  one  made  them  with  a  purpose.  Find  by  questions  that  the  watch 
would  cease  to  tick  if  it  were  not  wound  up  and  cared  for,  and  teach  the 
lesson  of  God's  preserving  care.  2.  The  heart  must  be  right  if  we  would 
have  the  life  right.  Show  that  it  is  of  no  use  to  fix  the  hands  simply ;  the 
main-spring  must  be  right,  and  then  the  hands  will  keep  right.  So  in  us  the 
relation  of  heart  and  hand.  3.  We  are  immortal.  This  truth  has  been 
taught  to  very  small  children  by  a  watch  taken  out  of  its  case,  and  the  chil- 
dren led  to  notice  that  the  watch  still  ticks,  although  out  of  its  case.  Then, 
the  case  being  put  out  of  sight  in  one  hat  and  the  watch  in  another,  they 
are  led  to  notice  that  they  can  still  hear  the  ticking,  although  it  is  unseen  as 
well  as  separate  from  its  cause.  So  the  body  is  only  the  case  of  the  soul, 
which  can  live  after  the  separation  by  death. 

A    PHOTOaRAPH 

may  be  used  in  this  way :  After  general  questions,  bring  out  the  fact  that  it 
\s  made  by  the  sunshine  in  the  dark  camera,  with  somebody  before  it. 
Afterward  show  that  from  the  darkness  of  repentance,  when  the  Holy 
G-host  shines  upon  our  hearts  and  Christ  stands  before  them,  they  come  forth 
in  the  likeness  of  Christ. 


108  THROUGH  TfiE   EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

Miss  M.  I.  Hanson,  Instructor  in  Object  Teaching  in  the  Massachusetts 
State  Normal  School  at  Salem,  also  the  teacher  of  an  infant  class,  has  con- 
tributed the  three  following  religious  object-lessons  for  this  work  : 

1.  Pure  Hearts. 

I  take  for  my  objects  three  paper  hearts,  one  perfectly  white,  another 
with  blots  of  ink  on  it,  a  third  nearly  covered  with  ink.  I  get  from  the 
children  the  statements  that  one  heart  is  white,  or  pure,  the  others  have 
blots  of  ink  on  them ;  then  speak  of  their  own  hearts :  are  they  like  the 
pure  white  one,  or  have  they  blots  on  them  ?  Get  the  statement  that  their 
hearts  have  blots  of  sin  on  them;  mention  different  sins  (little  wrong 
words,  deeds,  thoughts,  and  looks)  which  make  these  blots  on  the  heart ; 
then  also  that  the  more  wicked  the  heart  the  blacker.  Then,  going  back  to 
paper  hearts,  ask  how  to  get  the  ink  blots  off.  Children  say,  "By  wash- 
ing;" then,  speaking  of  their  sin-blotted  hearts,  ask  what  will  cleanse 
them;  will  water?  Get  the  statement,  "Blood  of  Jesus  Christ."  Then 
have  written  upon  the  blackboard  these  sentences:  "We  have  blots  of  sin 
on  our  hearts ;  "  "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth  us  from 
all  sin." 

Now  the  heart  is  cleansed  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  does  it  seem  like  the 
pure  white  heart?  What  does  the  Bible  say  of  those  that  have  pure 
hearts?  Write  on  the  blackboard,  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for," 
etc.  Speak  of  appearing  before  God  on  the  last  day  with  a  sin-blotted 
heart,  and,  without  daring  to  see  him,  hearing  him  say,  "Depart,"  etc.  Then 
speak  of  appearing  before  him  with  a  heart  cleansed  by  Jesus'  blood,  and 
looking  upon  him  with  joy  unutterable  as  he  says,  "  Come,  ye  blessed,"  etc. 
Then  ask  if  any  want  their  hearts  cleansed ;  if  they  know  where  to  go  for 
this  wonderful  blood  that  can  take  away  sin.  No  man  can  give  it.  Chil- 
dren answer,  "Pray  for  it."  Ask  if  any  would  like  to  ask  Christ  now  for  hip 
cleansing  blood,  then  close  with  a  prayer  for  pure  hearts. 

2.  Clean  Hands. 

"  Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill  of  the  Lord  ?  "  "  He  that  hath  clean 
hands  and  a  pure  heart." 

I  take  for  my  object  the  hands  of  the  children — tell  them  to  stand  and 
hold  up  their  hands — get  from  them  various  uses  of  hands ;  also  draw  from 
them  the  term  "clean,"  as  usually  applied;  then  show  that  God  calls  those 
hands  clean  which  are  put  to  a  good  use.  Have  children  mention  numer- 
ous good  things  which  their  hands  can  do,  and  write  them  on  the  black- 
board ;  then  show  that  hands  which  look  very  clean  to  us  may  be  very  un- 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       109 

clean  in  God's  sight,  because  he  knows  whether  they  have  been  doing 
right  or  not.  Then  ask  what  God  says  of  those  who  have  clean  hands. 
Have  the  verse  repeated,  and  write  it  on  the  blackboard. 

The  Tongue.— Text :  James  iii,  8;  Mark  x,  27;  Acts  xiii,  1-13. 

Lead  the  children  to  say  we  use  our  tongues  to  speak  both  good  and 
wicked,  kind  and  unkind  words.  To  give  an  idea  of  control,  refer  to  the 
wild  caprices  of  a  colt,  how  impossible  it  is  to  use  him  until  he  has  been 
tamed.  Tell  the  story  of  a  boy  whose  tongue  was  always  running  into 
wicked  speeches.  It  needed  to  be  tamed.  A  colt  cannot  be  tamed  without 
a  bridle,  a  tongue  cannot  be  tamed  without  Christ's  help. 

Who  of  you  have  promised  yourselves  not  to  say  wrong  words  ever  again  ? 
Did  you  keep  your  promise  ?  No.  Why  not?  Our  tongues  said  the  word 
before  we  knew  it.  So  it  seems  that  you  need  some  one  to  watch  and  tame 
your  tongues  for  you  ;  you  do  not  seem  able  to  do  it  yourselves.  The  Bible 
says  you  cannot  do  it  yourselves.  Let  me  read :  (James  iii,  8.)  Who  will 
help  you  ?  Can  you  do  it  then  ?  Let  me  read  again  from  the  Bible:  (Mark 
x,  27.)  Print  the  latter  text  upon  the  blackboard,  and  require  the  children 
to  read. 

The  Withered  Leaf. 

Rev.  Alfred  Cookman  preached  his  last  sermon,  with  a  withered  leaf  in  his 
nand  as  an  object-lesson,  on  the  text,  "  We  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf."  By  col- 
lecting, with  the  Concordance,  all  the  passages  in  the  Bible  on  the  leaf,  and 
ascertaining  its  natural  history  and  attributes,  many  very  excellent  lessons 
may  be  drawn  from  it. 

The  Magnet  Lesson. 

Rev.  E.  P.  Hammond  gives  a  very  effective  lesson  with  the  magnet,  trying 
it  first  with  an  old  spike,  and  finding  it  unable  to  draw  it — illustrating  the 
difficulty  of  moving  those  who  have  lived  long  in  sin  to  love  Christ.  He 
then  puts  the  magnet  among  a  lot  of  tacks,  which  quickly  fasten  upon  it, 
illustrating  the  readiness  with  which  the  children  come  to  Jesus,  and  not 
only  that,  but  also  draw  others  by  the  love  of  Christ  within  them.  Putting 
the  magnet  here  again  among  the  tacks,  he  shows  how  those  tacks  which 
adhere  draw  others  and  hold  them.  Many  beautiful  lessons  may  be  drawn 
from  the  magnet  by  experiment  and  study. 

The  Yine.     John  xv,  1-10. 
This  has  been  effectively  used  by  G.  E.  A.  Moore,  of  St.  Louis,  and  others. 
A.  knife,  opened,  is  extended  to  the  vine  to  cut  it.     "  Shall  I  cut  it  ?  "     "  No." 
"  Why?  "     M  It  would  kill  it."     "  Would  it  bear  fruit  if  cut  off?  "     "  No." 
M  No  more  shall  we  except  we  abide  in  Christ." 


110       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  taking  away  of  the  nipped  grapes  that  others  may  be  larger,  the  kind- 
ness of  purging,  the  destruction  of  the  useless,  the  sap  that  gives  the  branches 
iHfe  as  Christ  gives  us  life,  these  and  many  other  points  may  be  brought 
out  by  the  teacher,  after  studying  the  vine,  the  passage  referred  to  and  others 
regarding  the  "  empty  vine,"  M  wild  grapes,"  etc.,  and  then  questioning  the 
scholars. 

The  Lily. 

Take  a  large  white  lily  in  full  bloom,  and  read,  as  you  hold  it  before  the 
school,  Matt,  vi,  28-33.  Then  ask  the  school  to  "consider,"  (that  is,  pondei 
over  and  over  again,  as  the  original  signifies,)  to  tt  consider  the  lilies,"  and 
learn  three  lessons :  1.  A  lesson  to  doubt  and  skepticism — "  Consider  the 
lilies  how  they  grow,"  how  mysteriously  they  grow.  Thus  critical  skepti- 
cism, that  will  not  believe  any  thing  it  cannot  understand,  is  rebuked.  Show 
how  "  curiously  and  wonderfully  made "  are  the  lilies.  2.  A  lesson  to 
human  pride — "  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these." 
Central  Park  is  not  as  grand  as  Yosernite.  The  best  wax  bouquet  is  not 
equal  to  a  garden.  3.  A  lesson  to  "  little  faith  " — "  Consider  the  lilies  how 
prosperously  they  grow  without  toil  or  spinning,  and  shall  not  God  much  more 
care  for  us?  "  Find  in  the  Concordance  other  references  to  the  lily,  and  also 
ascertain  peculiarities  of  Eastern  lily  from  Bible  Dictionary 


" A  father  giveth  good         HOW  MUCH   MORE  WILL 

gifts  to  his  children." 
"God   clothes  the  lily 

of  the  field."   -    -    - 


GOD  Care™  US! 


Although  we  have  not  yet  spoken  about  the  blackboard,  we  insert  the 
above  as  a  companion  exercise  for  the  object-lesson  on  the  lily.  Generally 
the  blackboard  and  objects  should  be  used  together. 

The  Tares.    A  Bunch  op  Wheat  with  a  Bunch  op  Weeds.   Matt,  xiii, 
24-30.     Text:  Matt,  xiii,  30;  Acts  xiii,  1-13. 

Point :  Now  is  the  day  of  grace— afterward  will  be  the  time  of  reckoning. 

I.  Comparison  between  wheat  and  tares.  Let  the  teacher  show  some 
stalk3  of  wheat  and  some  worthless  weeds,  each  with  the  roots.  Children 
point  to  each  kind,  and  give  the  name.  Which  has  done  some  good  work  ? 
What  will  the  wheat  do  for  people  ?  Give  them  life  and  strength.  What 
good  have  the  weeds  done?  Sometimes  weeds  make  poison,  which  gives 
people  much  trouble.    Do  the  wheat  and  the  tares  grow  in  the  same  or  in 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       Ill 

different  fields?  The  tares  grow  among  the  wheat.  Upon  which  does 
God's  suu  shine  the  brightest?  etc.,  etc.  The  whole  subject  maybe  de- 
veloped in  this  line  by  the  teacher  or  superintendent.     (Selected.) 

The  Dew-Drops  and  Rain-Drops. 

Take  a  bunch  of  flowers  into  the  school  with  dew  or  rain  drops  upon 
them.  Then  tell  these  two  stories:  A  little  rain-drop  the  other  day,  before 
the  rain,  was  looking  down  from  the  sky,  and  its  little  heart  felt  sad  to  see 
how  withered  and  dry  all  the  flowers  and  the  grass  seemed  to  be.  Then  it 
said,  "Though  I  am  only  a  little  drop,  I  will  go  down  and  kiss  that  weary 
and  dusty  blade  of  grass."  So  it  came,  and  the  grass  looked  up  and  smiled. 
Another  drop,  when  it  saw  how  much  its  brother  had  done,  said,  "Well,  I'll 
go,  too,  and  kiss  that  fading  violet"  It  came,  and  the  violet  rejoiced.  Then 
the  other  drops  said,  "Let  us  go  too."  And  down  they  came,  one  after 
another,  until  there  was  a  shower  that  made  all  the  gardens  laugh  for  joy. 
So  our  little  words  and  deeds  may  make  others  happy.     (0.  J.  L.) 

The  following  was  given  by  Rev.  E.  L.  Hyde,  at  a  Band  of  Hope  meeting, 
on  the  same  object :  "  Children,  what  did  you  see  on  the  grass  this  morn- 
ing that  sparkled  so  ?  "  "  Dew."  Then  get  the  children  to  tell  what  makts 
clouds,  snow-flakes,  etc.  Call  the  snow  "  The  dew-drop's  cousin"  or,  as  a 
little  child  called  it,  "Rain  all  popped  out  white."  Then,  "  What  makes 
the  engine  go  ?  "  "  Steam."  "  What  besides  fire  does  it  take  to  make 
steam?  "  u  Water."  "  Yes,  and  the  water  is  made  of  a  great  many  little 
drops.  Each  of  them  is  a  little  fairy  giant,  and  they  say  to  each  other, 
'Let's  make  it  go,'  and  then  they  bend  all  their  little  shoulders  against  the 
sides  of  the  boiler,  and  push,  and  you  hear  the  sound,  's-s-s-sh,'  and  the 
wheels  begin  to  roll,  and  away  it  goes.  So  each  of  you  has  power  to  do 
something  in  pushing  for  the  right.    The  smallest  can  '  push  a  pound.'  " 

Power  op  Prayer. 

A  revolutionary  sword  may  be  used  as  an  object-lesson.  We  keep  it  only 
as  a  curiosity  to  remember  what  it  did  "  in  our  fathers'  days,  in  the  times 
of  old,"  but  not  as  the  sword  of  the  Spirit;  (this  maybe  drawn  on  the 
board.)  It  should  not  hang  up  as  a  relic,  reminding  us  of  three  thousand 
slain  in  one  day  at  Pentecost,  but  unused  at  present.  It  still  has  the  pen- 
tecostal  temper  in  its  blade.  Or  use  some  Continental  currency  as  a  contrast 
to  God's  promises,  which  are  never  at  a  discount,  never  out  of  date,  never 
curiosities  of  a  departed  government,  but  always  "Yea  and  Amen  in  Christ 
Jesus." 

Renewed  in  Christ.  Acts  xxvi,  6-20. 

Taking  a  bunch  of  old  rags,  and  also  some  fine  writing  paper,  use  them 
with  the  following  story  from  The  Sunday-School  Times,  by  Dr.  Todd: 


112       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  Queen  Was  riding  out  in  her  grand  carriage,  the  horses  toss  ng  their 
plumes  as  if  they  felt  themselves  a  little  better  than  common  horses,  and  the 
footmen  all  decked  out  in  red,  feeling  that  they  had  something  royal  about 
them.  The  Queen  had  always  had  every  thing  she  wanted,  and  so  was 
quite  miserable  because  she  could  not  think  of  a  want  to  supply,  or  a  new 
place  to  visit. 

At  last  she  bethought  her  that  they  had  just  been  building  a  new  paper- 
mill  a  few  miles  out  of  the  city.  Now  she  had  never  seen  a  paper-mill,  and 
so  she  determined  to  stop  a  little  way  off,  there  leave  her  carriage,  and  walk 
in,  not  as  a  queen,  but  as  an  unknown,  common  lady.  She  went  in  alone, 
and  told  the  owner  she  would  like  to  see  his  mill.  He  was  in  a  great  hurry, 
and  did  not  know  that  she  was  the  Queen.  But  he  said  to  himself,  4i  I  can 
gratify  the  curiosity  of  this  lady,  and  add  to  her  knowledge ;  and  though  I 
am  terribly  hurried,  yet  I  will  do  this  kindness."  He  then  showed  her  all 
the  machinery,  how  they  bleach  the  rags  and  make  them  white ;  how  they 
grind  them  into  pulp;  how  they  make  sheets,  and  smooth  them,  and  dry 
them,  and  make  them  beautiful.  The  Queen  was  astonished  and  delighted. 
She  would  now  have  something  new  to  think  about  and  talk  about. 

Just  as  she  was  about  leaving  the  mill  she  came  to  a  room  tilled  with 
old  worn-out,  dirty  rags.  At  the  door  of  this  room  was  a  great  multitude 
of  poor,  dirty  men  and  women  and  children  bringing  old  bags  on  their  backs 
filled  with  bits  of  rags  and  paper,  parts  of  old  newspapers,  and  the  like,  all 
exceedingly  filthy.  These  were  rag-pickers,  who  had  picked  these  old 
things  out  of  the  streets  and  gutters  of  the  great  city. 

"  What  do  you  do  with  all  these  vile  things?  "  said  the  Queen. 

"Why,  madam,  I  make  paper  out  of  them.  To  be  sure,  they  are  not  very 
profitable  stock,  but  I  can  use  them,  and  it  keeps  these  poor  creatures 
in  bread." 

M  But  these  rags  1  Why,  sir,  they  are  of  all  colors,  and  how  do  you  make 
them  white  ?  " 

"0,  I  have  the  power  of  taking  out  all  the  dirt  and  the  old  colors.  You 
see  that  *  scarlet '  and  that  '  crimson,'  yet  I  can  make  even  scarlet  and  crim- 
son, the  hardest  colors,  to  remove  and  become  white  as  snow." 

'•Wonderful,  wonderful!  "  said  the  Queen. 

She  then  took  her  leave,  but  the  polite  owner  of  the  mill  insisted  on  walk- 
ing and  seeing  her  safe  in  her  carriage.  When  she  got  in  and  bowed  to 
him  with  a  smile,  and  he  saw  all  the  grand  establishment,  he  knew  it  was 
[the  Queen. 

"Well,  well!  "  said  he,  "  she  has  learned  something  at  any  rate.  I  wish 
iit  may  be  a  lesson  in  true  religion." 

A  few  days  alter  the  Queen  found  lying  upon  her  writing-desk  a  pile 
#f  the  most  beautiful  polished  paper  she  had  ever  seen.     On  each  sheet  wrere 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       113 

the  letters  of  her  own  name  and  her  own  likeness.     How  she  did  admire  it ! 
She  found,  also,  a  note  within,  which  she  read.     It  ran  thus : 

11  Will  my  Queen  be  pleased  to  accept  a  specimen  of  my  paper,  with  the 
assurance  that  every  sheet  was  manufactured  out  of  the  contents  of  those 
dirty  bags  which  she  saw  on  the  backs  of  the  poor  rag-pickers?  All  the 
filth  and  the  colors  are  washed  out,  and  I  trust  the  result  is  such  as  even  a 
queen  may  admire.  Will  the  Queen  also  allow  me  to  say,  that  I  have  had 
many  a  good  sermon  preached  to  me  in  my  mill?  I  can  understand  how 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  can  take  the  poor  heathen,  the  low,  sinful  creatures 
every- where,  viler  than  the  rags,  and  wash  them  and  make  them  clean ;  and 
how,  l  though  their  sins  be  as  scarlet,  he  can  make  them  whiter  than  snow; 
and  though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  he  can  make  them  as  wool.'  And  I 
can  see  that  he  can  write  his  own  name  on  their  foreheads,  as  the  Queen  will 
find  her  name  on  each  sheet  of  paper;  and  I  can  see  how,  as  these  filthy 
rags  may  go  into  the  palace  and  be  ever  admired,  some  poor,  vile  sinners 
may  be  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  be  received  into  the  palace 
of  the  great  King  in  heaven.  The  Mill  Owner." 

Living  Water.* 

The  following  may  furnish  suggestions  to  be  used  with  a  fountain  or  a 
glass  of  water  if  the  circumstances  mentioned  cannot  be  realized: 

"Whosoever  drinketh  of  this  water"  said  Jesus,  "shall  thirst  again;  but 
whosoever  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst;  but 
the  water  that  I  shall  give  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into 
everlasting  life." 

Here  Christ  represents  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  as  "living  water,"  which, 
satisfies  our  longings  as  nothing  else  can  do.  While  at  every  well  of  earthly 
pleasure  we  must  day  after  day  draw  again  and  again  for  a  temporary  grati- 
fication of  our  thirst  for  happiness,  lie  who  takes  into  his  heart  this  "  fount- 
ain of  the  indwelling  Spirit"  shall  "never  thirst"  for  other  draughts,  but 
"with  joy  shall  he  draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation."  And  "every 
one  that  thirsteth  may  come  to  these  waters  "  and  be  satisfied.  "  Ye  weary 
and  heavy  laden"  with  long  years  of  constant  effort  to  draw  up  happiness 
from  other  wells,  say  to  the  Master  to-day.  "Give  me  of  this  water,  that  I 
thirst  not,  neither  come  hither  to  draw."  And  not  only  will  the  Spirit  of  God 
save  us  from  the  feverish  "thirst"  of  human  life,  but  he  will  also  be  in  us  "a 
well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life." 

Yesterday  I  went  for  meditation  to  our  beautiful  Lindenwood  Cemetery. 
After  passing  the  gate  I  stopped  a  moment  to  look  at  the  Soldiers'  Monument, 
man's  fitting  tribute  to  the  brave.  But  a  few  steps  further  on  I  paused  in  still 
greater  admiration  before  a  new  monument—  God^s  monument  to  the  Christian, 

*  See  Frontispiece. 

9 


114:       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

Man's  chisel  never  wrought  so  beautifully!  Human  bands  never  ar- 
ranged such  diamonds  and  pearls  in  so  stately  a  pillar  of  silver! 

The  monument  bore  no  name  and  no  epitaph,  but  it  stood  in  its  matchless 
oeauty  amid  the  tombstones  and  monuments  as  God's  tribute  to  those 
whose  "  names  are  written  in  heaven."  Many  of  you  have  seen  it — the 
monument  of  ice  through  which  the  fountain  unceasingly  sends  its  water 
into  the  air.  All  through  the  winter  the  fountain  has  defied  the  cold  and 
sparkled  daily  in  the  sun.  Glorious  picture  of  the  true  Christian !  What 
though  the  snows  and  frost  of  the  world's  coldness  gather  about  him,  there  is 
"  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting  life  "  that  cannot  be 
frozen,  and  his  joy  and  singing  leap  above  all  temptation  and  "  rejoice  ever- 
more." What  though  death  with  his  chilly  hand  touch  his  body  and  make  it 
icy  with  death,  there  is  "  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life"  and,  like  the  fountain,  rising  triumphantly  above  the  ice  around  it,  the 
"living  water"  of  our  hearts  rises  to  the  better  life:  the  fountain  must  rise 
as  high  as  its  source.  Rude  and  playful  boys  stained  the  icy  monument 
with  the  mud  of  their  feet  and  marred  it  with  their  axes,  but  still  the 
sparkling  stream  threw  its  jewels  into  the  sunlight.  Men  may  persecute 
and  revile  the  Christian  and  speak  all  manner  of  evil  against  him,  but  above 
it  all  leaps  the  "living  water"  of  his  inward  joy  aud  shouts  "  Blessed. v 

The  aperture  through  which  the  water  rose  I  saw  filled  up  with  a  block 
of  ice,  and  for  a  little  time  the  stream  was  repressed;  but  very  soon  it  cut  its 
way  out,  and  rose  with  its  triumphant  joy  into  the  air  again. 

The  grave  may  endeavor  to  bind  down  the  Christian's  spirit  with  its 
clods;  the  "  living  water  that  springs  up  into  everlasting  life"  shall  break 
through  them  and  cry,  "  0  grave,  where  is  thy  victory  ?  " 

In  this  monument  of  ice  and  snow  I  saw  God's  sculpturing  of  the  prayer, 
"  Wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow ;  "  God's  chiseling  of  the 
promise,  "Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  white  as  snow." 

And  then,  as  I  thought  of  the  "  everlasting  life  "  and  the  "  glorified 
bodies "  of  the  saints  in  light,  I  saw  the  monument  transfigured  to  a 
heavenly  meaning,  and  heard  a  voice,  the  voice  of  my  hope,  saying,  "Who 
are  these  in  white  robes,  and  whence  came  they?"  And  then  I  saw  in  it 
another  picture  of  the  overcomer  made  "  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  his  God." 

If  I  should  wish  for  any  monument  to  rise  in  memory  of  my  life  besides 
that  best  of  all  monuments,  "  The  good  we  have  done,"  I  should  ask  that  in 
the  purest  marble  such  a  monument  should  be  represented,  and,  through  and 
above  it,  should  play  a  fountain,  and  on  the  marble  should  be  cut:  "T?ie 
water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  wakr  springing  up  into 
everlasting  life."     [This  may  be  used  to  illustrate  2  Kings  ii,  13-25.] 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEABT. 


115 


TOPIC  EXERCISES. 

Paul  at  Corinth.  Acts  xviii,  1-11. 

SEEST  THOU  A  MAN 

DILIGENT  in  BUSINESS 

[Two  Departments.] 


|       My  Earthly  Business. 

HE   SHALL  STAND  BEFORE  j  thE^KINO- 

First  print  only  the  words  "Diligent  in  business,"  as  de- 
scriptive of  Paul's  industry.  Then  call  attention  to  the  two 
kinds  of  business  God  gives  to  every  man  and  write  them  on 
the  board.  Note  that  in  both  departments  a  man  should  be 
u  fervent  in  spirit,"  and  in  both  also  should  "serve  the  Lord." 
Write  above  all  these,  "  Seest  thou  a  man."  Illustrate  with 
Joseph,  Daniel,  Mordecai,  Paul,  and  others,  that  such  men 
"  stand  before  kings"  on  earth  and  before  the  King  in  heaven. 
(Write  last  line.) 

Gehazi,  the  Leper.  2  Kings  v,  20-27. 


G-EHAZI'S  SIN. 

ORIGIN, 

G-en.  iii,  6. 

DECEITFULNESS, 

Prov.  xvi,  25. 

MISERY, 

Isa.  lvii,  20,  21. 

PROGRESS, 

James  i,  1. 

INJURY, 

Eccl.  ix,  18. 

DISCOVERY,      - 

Num.  xxxii,  23. 

PUNISHMENT,       - 

Gal.  vi,  7. 

116 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


1.  Write  on  the  board  the  Scripture  references,  leaving 
the  words  opposite  to  each  to  be  written  as  they  are  read  in 
order. 

2.  Let  one  half  the  school  read  one  verse,  the  other  the 
next  in  concert.  Or  let  one  class  read  each  verse  in  concert 
from  their  Bibles. 

3.  As  each  verse  is  read  explain  the  reference,  and  write 
the  explanation  in  one  word  upon  the  board. 

Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 


The  Call  of  God.  Acts  xxvi,  6-20. 


1.  Write  "The  call"  and  its  live  elements,  omitting  for 
the  present  the  words  "  To  You." 

2.  Then  "The  Answer"  and  its  characteristics. 

3.  Then  make  the  application :  "The  Call,"  "From  God," 
u  To  You."  Your  answer !  Shall  it  be  like  that  of  Saul  ? 
Illustrate  by  the  call  of  God  to  Samuel. 

Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut, 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


117 


Paul  at  Ephesus.  Acts  xix,  1-12. 

THE  HOLY  SPIRIT, 


LIKES 


WATER,  is  free. 
FIRE,  is  purifying. 
"WIND,  is  powerful. 
RAIN,  is  abundant. 


A  VOICE,  speaking. 
A  DOVE,  gentle. 
OIL,  joyous. 
DEW,  refreshing. 


ASK,  and  ye  SHALL  receive.  Luke  xi,  9,  13. 

Write  on  the  blackboard  at  first  only  "The  Holy  Spirit 

like "  and  ask,  "  What  is  the  Holy  Spirit  compared  to  in 

the  Bible  ?  "  As  the  symbols  are  given  ask,  u  Why  is  the 
Holy  Ghost  like  water?"  c  Why  is  the  Holy  Ghostlike 
fire  ?  "  etc.,  etc.,  writing  down  beside  the  symbol  the  point  of 
resemblance,  repeating  appropriate  Scripture,  and  illustrating 
or  enforcing  each  point.  The  following  Bible  passages  may 
be  used  with  these  symbols : 

Water.  John  vii,  37-39;  Matt,  xxviii,  19.  Fire.  Acts  ii, 
1-4 ;  Isa.  iv,  3,  4 ;  1  Thess.  v,  19;  John  xvi,  8-11.  Wind. 
Acts  ii,  1-4 ;  2  Tim.  i,  7  ;  Eph.  iii,  14,  16 ;  1  Thess.  i,  5  ;  John 
iii,  8.  Rain.  Zech.  xii,  10.  Voice.  Heb.  iii,  7-9;  Acts  i, 
16 ;  xxviii,  25  ;  Matt,  x,  20  ;  John  xvi,  13.  Dove.  Matt,  iii, 
16  ;  Gal.  v,  22.  Oil.  1  Sam.  xvi,  13  ;  John  xiv,  26  ;  Isa.  xi,  2. 
Dew.  Rom.  v,  5  ;  John  vi,  63. 

To  this  exercise  the  following  may  be  added  as  Christ's 
promises  in  regard  to  the  Holy  Ghost : 


WILL  COME  TO 
WILL  guide 

WILL  EEPKOVE 
WILL  SHOW 
WILL  TEACH 
WILL  COMFORT 
WILL  DWELL  WITH 
WILL  ABIDE  WITH 


Paul  before  Felix.  Acts  xxiv,  10-25. 
PAUL  PREACHED 

RIGHTEOUSNESS,    I   TEMPERANCE,    I   JUDGMENT. 


118  THROUGH  THE   EYE  TO  TEtE  fiEAM. 

(  HEARD, 
^_T  T^       TREMBLED, 
FELIX  <   POSTPONED, 
PROMISED, 

V  DIED  UNSAVED. 

AHE    YOTJ    SAYINGS  :- 

HOLY  SPIRIT  GO  THY  WAY? 

THE  CONVENIENT  SEASON  IS 
NOW. 

Each  of  these  points  should  be  developed,  as  in  preceding 
exercises,  by  questions,  and  then  written  or  printed.  Then 
illustrate  with  the  following  incidents : 

An  ocean  steamer  went  down  with  all  on  board.  A  clock  was  washed 
ashore  which  had  stopped  at  eleven  o'clock,  showing  the  hour  when  the 
vessel  sank.  This  story  can  be  told,  and  then,  looking  to  a  clock  or  watch, 
the  moment  may  be  noted,  with  the  remark,  "  Perhaps,  at  this  moment, 
some  one  of  you  is  deciding  the  question  of  your  whole  eternity.'1 

"I  saw  yesterday  a  park  in  which  they  were  felling  all  the  trees,  and  yet 
there  were  the  poor  crows  building  on  elms  that  were  marked  to  be  cut 
down.  T  thought  to  myself:  '  You  foolish  birds,  to  be  building  your  nests 
there,  for  the  woodman's  ax  is  ringing  all  around,  and  the  tall  elms  are 
tumbling  to  the  ground.'  We  are  all  apt  to  build  our  nests  upon  trees  that 
will  be  cut  down." 

Paul's  Autobiography.  Acts  xx,  17-32. 

SERVING   THE  (  humility, 
<  Many  tears, 
LORD   WITH     (Many  trials 

fFully, 
TEACHING^  p^"7' 

vFrom  house  to  house. 

!To  Jews  and  Greeks, 
Of  repentance, 
Of  faith. 


WARNING 


Night  and  day, 
With  tears. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       119 

rTo  Jerusalem, 
To  bonds  and  afflictions, 
GOING^  Never  to  return, 

Unmoved  by  outward  trials, 
^  Ready  to  live  or  die. 
These  points  can  all  be  developed,  by  questions,  from  the 
lesson,  and  illustrated  with  incidents  from  Paul's  life.     The 
application  should  point  to  "serving  the  Lord,"  "testifying," 
and  "  teaching  "  like  Paul. 

Between  twenty  and  thirty  years  ago  three  little  English  boys  were  amusing 
themselves  together  in  a  wood-lodge  one  summer  afternoon.  Suddenly  one  of 
them  looked  grave,  and  left  off  playing.  "I  have  forgotten  something,"  be 
said;  "  I  forgot  to  say  my  prayers  this  morning ;  you  must  wait  forme." 
He  went  quietly  into  a  corner  of  the  place  they  were  in,  knelt  down,  and  rev- 
erently repeated  his  morning  prayer.  Then  he  returned  to  the  others,  and 
was  soon  merrily  engaged  in  play  again.  This  brave  boy  grew  up  to  be  a  brave 
man.  He  was  the  noted  Captain  Hammond.  He  was  a  faithful  servant  to 
his  earthly  sovereign,  but,  better  still,  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ,  never 
ashamed  of  his  service. 

Glorious  Madness. 
Prayer  Answered.  "Thou  art  mad." 
Conversion  Declared.  "  Beside  thyself." 
Self-Sacrifice.  "  Beside  himself." 
Full  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  "  Full  of  new  wine." 

"NOT  MAD, 

BUT  WORDS    OF   TRUTH    AND   SOBERNESS." 

Rhoda  was  thought  to  be  "  mad  "  for  telling  of  prayer  an- 
swered;  Paul  was  thought  "  beside  himself "  when  he  nar- 
rated his  conversion;  Christ  was  thought  "beside  himself" 
in  "  working  for  others"  when  he  needed  rest  and  food  ;  and 
the  apostles  were  thought  to  be  in  the  madness  of  intoxica- 
tion when  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  These  same 
things  are  called  madness  to-day,  but  our  experience  answers 
in  the  words  of  Paul,  "  We  are  not  mad,  but  speak  the  words 
of  truth  and  soberness."  All  these  things  are  based  on  reliable 
evidence  and  trustworthy  experiments.    They  are  proved  facts, 


120       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

Bible  Arithmetic.  1  Kings  xviii,  36-46. 

1  +  God   >  450  +  Baal. 

Gideon's  300  +  faith  >  150,000  Midianites. 

12  apostles  +  faith  =  world  redeemed. 

The  arithmetical  sign  >,  it  will  be  remembered,  means 
a  greater  than."  The  smallest  numbers,  added  to  God  or  to 
faith,  are  greater  than  all  that  can  be  against  them,  as  in 
the  case  of  Elijah  triumphing  over  four  hundred  and  fifty 
priests  of  Baal.  Gideon's-  victory  illustrates  the  same  point, 
as  also  the  present  extent  of  Christianity  through  the  efforts 
of  Christ's  little  army  of  twelve  men  plus  faith. 

God's  Mercy  and  Might.     Nahum  i,  1-13. 

"MIGHTY  TO  SAVE." 
nir   i  nnnm  (  MERCY-" Slow  to  anger." 
I  HE      UnD  Si  MIGHT-" Great  in  power." 

I  JUSTICE-"  Will  not  acquit  the  wicked." 
UST,  AND  YET  THE 
USTIFIER  OF  HIM  THAT  BELIEVETH. 

Two  brothers  started  to  go  West  to  seek  their  fortune.  One  had  money, 
the  other  had  not.  When  they  got  to  the  frontier  the  one  without  money 
murdered  the  other,  and,  taking  his  money,  fled  to  California.  Doctors  took 
the  head  of  the  murdered  man  and  preserved  it  in  alcohol.  No  proof  of 
the  murder  could  be  found.  No  one  was  present  when  the  deed  was  done. 
The  brother  was  accused,  but  declared  his  innocence.  No  one  was  there 
but  he  and  God.  He  was  brought  before  jury  and  judge,  and  declared  his 
innocence.  The  dead  face  of  his  brother  was  brought  into  court.  He 
gazed  on  it,  he  fainted  and  fell  to  the  floor,  and  confessed  his  sin.  There  is 
a  time  when  all  these  unconfessed  sins  will  come  in  before  us,  tramp,  tramp, 
tramp,  till  they  all  come  back. 

Paul's  Deliverance  from  Shipwreck  *  Acts  xxvii,  33-44. 

"I   remember,"  says   Dr.  Fowler,  "  once    standing   by  the 

BUrging  billows  all  one  weary  day,  and  watching  for  hours  a 

♦Captain  John  Cochnan,  in  the  course  of  a*  discussion  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Post  with  Mr.  (i.  W.  Blunt,  has  furnished  a  new  version  of  Paul's 
narrative  of  his  voyage  and  shipwreck,  which  we  think  will  edify  many  of 


J 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       121 

father  struggling  beyond  in  the  breakers  for  the  life  of  his 
son.  They  came  slowly  toward  the  breakers  on  a  piece  of 
wreck,  and  as  they  came  the  waves  turned  over  the  piece  of 
float,  and  they  were  lost.  Presently  we  saw  the  father  come 
to  the  surface  and  clamber  alone  to  the  wreck,  and  then  saw 
him  plunge  off  into  the  waves,  and  thought  he  was  gone ; 
but  in  a  moment  he  came  back  again,  holding  his  boy. 
Presently  they  struck  another  wave,  and  over  they  went; 
and  again  they  repeated  the  process.     Again  they  went  over, 

our  readers.  We  reproduce  it,  with  Capt.  Codman's  own  paragraph  of  com- 
ment at  the  end : 

"  1.  And  when  they  had  concluded  to  ship  us  to  Italy,  they  turned  Paul 
and  the  other  prisoners  over  to  a  corporal  of  marines,  named  Julius. 

"  2.  And  going  on  board  of  a  ship  belonging  to  Adramyttium  we  cast 
off  from  the  wharf  and  made  all  sail,  keeping  close  in  to  the  Asiatic  shore.  A 
Macedonian  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Aristarchus  was  a  cabin  passenger. 

11 3.  Next  day  we  touched  at  Sidon.  Julius  was  very  polite  to  Paul,  and 
gave  him  a  day's  liberty  to  go  ashore  and  be  treated  by  his  friends. 

"  4.  We  got  under  way  again  and  beat  up  along  the  Cyprus  shore  with  the 
wind  dead  ahead. 

"  5.  We  got  a  fair  slant  over  the  sea  of  Silicia  and  Pamphylia  and  then  put 
into  Myra. 

"  6.  There  the  corporal  found  an  Egyptian  ship  hailing  from  Alexandria, 
bound  to  an  Italian  port,  and  he  shifted  us  and  our  dunnage  over  to  her. 

"  7.  She  was  a  slow  old  tub,  and  after  a  long  passage  we  just  fetched 
Cnidas,  and  as  we  could  not  weather  Crete  we  ran  down  to  leeward  of  it 
till  we  made  Salmone. 

"8.  Hauling  up  on  a  taut  bowline  so  that  we  just  passed  to  windward  of 
it,  we  ran  into  Pair  Haven,  not  far  from  Lasea. 

k<  9.  Now,  d'ye  see,  we  had  made  a  long  voyage  of  it  altogether,  and  as  it 
looked  squally  ahead  and  there  were  signs  of  bad  weather,  Paul  called  all 
hands  aft.  and  says  he: 

"10.  'Shipmates,  this  looks  like  a  bad  business;  and  if  we  keep  on  it 
looks  to  me  as  if  this  ship  and  cargo  will  come  to  grief,  and  may  be  we'll  lose 
the  number  of  our  mess.' 

"11.  But  the  corporal  thought  that  the  skipper  and  the  owner  knew  more 
about  these  things  than  Paul. 

11 12.  And  so,  everv  fellow  having  something  to  say  about  it,  the  majority 
concluded  that,  as  this  was  not  a  very  comfortable  place  to  winter  in,  they 
had  better  heave  up  the  anchor  and  sail  for  Phenice  and  winter  there.    That 


122       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEAfcT. 

and  Again  the  father  rescued  his  son.  By  and  by,  as  they 
swung  nearer  the  shore,  they  caught  on  a  snag  just  out  be- 
yond where  we  could  reach  them,  and  for  a  little  time  the 
waves  went  over  them  there  till  we  saw  the  boy  in  the 
father's  arms,  hanging  down  in  helplessness,  and  knew  they 

is  a  Cretan  port  and  has  two  channels,  one  to  the  northwest,  and  the  other 
to  the  southward  and  westward  of  it. 

"  13.  And  so,  when  a  light  southerly  breeze  sprang  up  they  got  under 
weigh  and  kept  along  the  Cretan  shore, 

"  14.  But  soon  the  wind  hauled  round  to  the  northward  and  blew  great 
guns. 

"  15.  As  soon  as  the  gale  struck  us  and  we  found  she  would  not  lay  up 
to  the  wind,  we  up  helm  and  scud  her  before  it. 

11 16.  And  getting  under  the  lee  of  Clauda  we  had  hard  work  to  get  the 
boat  we  had  been  towing  alongside. 

"IT.  But  they  finally  hoisted  her  up  to  the  davits  and  passed  a  belly- 
lashing  around  the  old  ship  to  thrap  her  together.  And  then  we  got  out  of 
shoal  water,  having  clewed  up  and  furled  every  thing,  and  let  her  run  before 
it  under  bare  poles. 

"  18.  Coming  on  to  blow  harder,  and  a  heavy  sea  on  next  day,  they  hove 
overboard  some  of  the  cargo. 

"  19.  Next  twenty-four  hours  coming  in  hard  gales  and  sea  increasing, 
all  hands  and  passengers  turned  to  and  hove  overboard  all  the  gear  lying 
about  decks. 

"  20.  Weather  so  thick  that  we  could  not  get  a  meridian  altitude  of  the 
sun,  nor  a  lunar  observation  for  several  days.  Gale  still  continuing,  chances 
look  pretty  bad. 

"21.  In  the  meantime  Paul  had  not  given  any  more  advice,  but  now  he 
called  the  officers  together  on  the  poop  and  said :  '  Well,  gentlemen,  you 
had  better  have  taken  my  advice  and  laid  quietly  at  your  anchor  in  Crete, 
and  then  it  would  not  have  been  a  case  of  general  average. 

"22.  '  Still,  keep  a  stiff  upper  lip,  and  believe  me  now  when  I  tell  you 
that  whatever  may  happen  to  the  ship,  all  hands  will  be  saved. 

"  23.  'For  the  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  alongside  of  rny  bunk  to-night, 

"24.  'And  said,  "Don't  you  be  afraid.  Tou  are  bound  to  get  to  Cesar, 
and  on  your  account  the  whole  crew  and  all  the  passengers  shall  be  taken 
care  of." 

"  25.  ( So.  gentlemen,  don't  give  up  the  ship  yet,  for  I  believe  the  Lord 
will  do  as  he  said. 

"26.  '  However,  there  is  no  doubt  but  we  shall  finally  lose  the  ship.' 

"27.  After  knocking  about  in  heavy  gales  for  fourteen  days,  just  about 


THKOUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       123 

must  be  saved  or  soon  be  lost.  I  shall  never  forget  the  gaze 
of  that  father.  As  we  drew  him  from  the  devouring  waves, 
still  clinging  to  his  son,  he  said,  '  That's  my  boy !  that's  my 

eight  bells  on  the  first  watch  the  lookout  on  the  forecastle  thought  the  water 
was  shoaling. 

11 28.  So  they  hove  the  lead  and  got  twenty  fathoms.  Next  cast  they 
got  fifteen. 

"  29.  Then  to  keep  her  from  pounding  on  the  rocks  they  let  go  four  an- 
chors over  the  stern,  and  held  on  for  daylight. 

"  30.  Some  of  the  crew  thought  it  would  be  a  good  chance  to  desert  when 
they  had  the  boat  down  in  the  water  pretending  to  run  out  a  stream  and 
kedge  anchor  forward. 

"31.  Paul  told  the  corp  ral  and  the  marine  guard  that  these  lads  must 
come  on  board  again,  or  else  nobody  would  be  saved. 

"32.  Then  the  marines  cut  the  boat's  painter  and  let  her  go  adrift. 

"  33.  At  daybreak  Paul  ordered  the  steward  to  serve  out  rations,  for  no- 
body had  eaten  any  thing  for  fourteen  days. 

11 34.  '  So  I  advise  you  to  attend  to  your  mess,  for  nobody  shall  lose  a 
hair  of  his  head.' 

"  35.  When  he  had  said  this  he  set  the  example,  thanking  the  Lord,  and 
eating  his  own  grub. 

*  36.  That  made  them  all  lively,  and  they  made  a  hearty  breakfast. 

11  3*7.  The  whole  muster-roll  was  276  all  told. 

"38.  And  when  they  had  knocked  off  breakfast  they  hove  overboard  the 
rest  of  the  cargo. 

"  39.  At  daylight  they  could  not  make  out  the  land,  but  a  creek  made  up 
inland  which  they  thought  might  make  a  good  harbor. 

"40.  And  when  they  had  hove  up  the  anchors,  they  slacked  up  the  rud- 
der braces,  let  fall  the  mainsail,  and  run  her  head  on  to  the  land. 

"41.  But  she  got  caught  in  an  eddy  that  slewed  her  around  so  that  her 
bows  got  hard  and  fast  aground,  and  her  stern  was  knocked  to  pieces  by 
the  sea. 

"  42.  The  marines  wanted  to  knock  the  prisoners  in  the  head  to  keep  them 
from  swimming  ashore  and  escaping. 

"43.  But  the  corporal,  out  of  regard  to  Paul,  put  a  stopper  on  them,  and 
ordered  all  who  could  swim  to  strike  out  for  the  shore. 

"44.  And  those  who  could  not,  got  on  to  hen-coops,  planks,  and  gangway 
ladders.     The  long  and  short  of  it  was  that  every  body  got  ashore  safe. 

"As  this  is  a  purely  historical  narrative,  lam  sure  that  no  one  will  ac- 
euse  me  of  an  irreverent  application  of  Scripture.  Indeed,  lam  seriously 
inclined  to  think  that  in  a  Bethel  church  my  version  would  carry  more  con- 


124       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

boy ! '  and  half  frantic,  as  we  dragged  them  up  the  bank,  he 
cried  all  the  time,  4  That's  my  boy  !  that's  my  boy  ! '  And  so 
I  have  thought,  in  hours  of  darkness,  when  the  billows  roll 
over  me,  the  great  Father  is  reaching  down  to  me,  and  taking 
hold  of  me,  crying,  '  That's  my  boy  ! '  and  I  know  I  am  safe." 

viction  of  truth  than  that  clothed  in  the  old  English  style  of  men  unac- 
quainted with  the  language  of  the  sea. 

11  By  reference  to  his  G-reek  Testament,  the  careful  editor  of  the '  American 
Coast  Pilot '  will  be  forced  to  admit  the  general  correctness  of  the  trans- 
lation. It  is  mainly  because  the  old  one  has  been  the  work  of  landsmen 
that  other  seamen  besides  '  G-.  W.  B.'  have  ridiculed  St.  Paul's  claim  to  sea- 
manship. A  careful  study  of  the  chapter  will  show,  however,  that,  consid- 
ering the  lack  of  charts,  compass,  and  '  Coast  Pilots,'  these  ancient  mari- 
ners did  as  well  as  could  be  expected  under  the  circumstances,  and  if  they 
had  taken  the  advice  of  Paul  they  would  have  fared  still  better.  By  neg- 
lecting it,  in  the  first  place,  they  lost  their  ship,  but  by  finally  obeying  him 
they  saved  their  lives.  The  29th  verse  is  frequently  seized  upon  like  a  bone 
by  nautical  critics.  Even  Fenimore  Cooper  makes  Captain  Truck  call  the 
maneuver  there  spoken  of,  'lubberly.'  I  differ  entirely  with  these  com- 
mentators. The  ships  of  those  days  were  the  prototypes  of  some  still  in 
use  in  the  Levant — somewhat  less  handy  in  their  rig,  but  much  the  same  in 
the  build  of  their  hulls,  their  stems  and  sterns  being  nearly  alike.  Their 
anchors,  like  many  still  in  use,  were  of  wood,  with  heavy  stones  lashed  to 
their  shanks  and  flukes.  They  could  be  dropped  from  the  stern  as  well  as 
from  the  bows,  as  is  still  often  done  by  these  Mediterranean  craft,  and 
thus  they  are  brought  up  more  exactly  at  their  anchorage  than  they  can 
be  by  the  process  of  rounding  to. 

ilI  think  it  quite  sufficient  in  the  present  article  to  explain  the  meaning 
of  this  text  without  adducing  from  others  direct  proof  of  the  seamanship  of 
St.  Paul,  which  may  be  derived  from  this  chapter  and  others  of  the  Acts." 

'  One  Sunday  Father  Taylor,  the  sailor  preacher,  attempted  to  give  to  his 
S:iilor  congregation  an  idea  of  redemption.  He  began  with  an  eloquent  de- 
scription of  a  terrific  storm  at  sea,  rising  to  fury  through  all  its  gradations; 
then,  amid  the  waves,  a  vessel  is  seen  laboring  in  distress,  and  driving  on  a 
lee  shore.  The  masts  bend  and  break,  and  go  overboard;  the  sails  are 
rent,  the  helm  unshipped ;  they  spring  a  leak ;  the  vessel  begins  to  fill,  the 
water  gains  on  them ;  she  sinks  deeper,  deeper,  deeper,  deeper !  He  bent 
over  the  pulpit,  repeating  the  last  words  again  and  again ;  his  voice  became 
low  and  hollow.  The  faces  of  the  sailors,  as  they  gazed  up  at  him  with 
their   mouths  wide  open  and  their  eyes  fixed,  I  shall  never  forget.     Sud- 


THROUGH  THE   EYE   TO  THE   HEART. 


125 


The  Sea, 
The  Ship, 


tt  -on.  * 


-  The  World. 

-  The  Ohurch. 
The  Voyage,      -       Stormy. 

BUT 

The  Lord  is  with  us,  we  shall 

reach  the  haven  of  rest. 


-*-~o--*- 


God's  Army  in  the  Air.  2  Kings  vii,  12-20. 

ENCAMPETH  ROUND  ABOUT 


t=xD 

CCS 

c=> 

CUD 
OLD 

GOD'S 

AT 

MAHANAIM, 
JERICHO, 
DOTHAN, 
SAMARIA, 

HOST 

DEFENDED 

JACOB. 
JOSHUA. 
ELISHA. 
THE  CITY. 

CD 


CO 


[See  Gen.  xxxii,  2  ;  Josh,  v,  14 ;  2  Kings  vi,  8-18 ;  vii,  12-20.] 
Jonah  at  Nineveh.  Jonah  iii,  1-10. 

IF  WE  DO  NOT  REPENT 

NINEVEH      (       Shall  rise  Tip 
^  O  U>  O  TVT  }  in  judgment    and 

ov^        ^     x  1  condemn 

GOMOREAH ( 

Because  we  sinned  against 

«iifii  iiiei 


denly  stopping  and  looking  to  the  farthest  end  of  the  chapel,  as  into  space, 
he  exclaimed,  with  a  piercing  cry  of  exultation,  "  A  life-boat !  a  life-boat !" 
Then  looking  down  upon  his  congregation,  most  of  whom  had  sprung  to 
their  feet  in  an  ecstasy  of  suspense,  he  said  in  a  deep,  impressive  tone,  and 
extending  his  arms,  "  Ghrist  is  that  life-boat!" 


126       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  Gospel  as  Preached  by  Paul.  Acts  xiii,  26-41. 


Jesus 
ascended  « 
to 


r  Prepare  a  place  for 
Send  the  Comforter  to 


His 


I  Pray  to  the  Father  for  f  people. 
I  Be  a  King  over  J 

An 
B 

C 


have  sinned, 
eh  old  the  Lamb. 
ome  unto  Me. 


The  A  B  C  of  salvation  as  Paul  preached  it  and  as  Christ 
gave  it  was,  "All  have  sinned;"  then  "Behold  the  Lamb," 
the  bleeding  substitute  who  takes  the  punishment  of  our 
sins  ;  then  come  to  Christ  and  be  saved.  The  purpose  of 
Christ's  ascension  was  to  descend  more  fully  and  closely  into 
human  hearts.  As  Macdonald  expresses  it  in  "  David  Elgin- 
brod,"  "  The  Lord  took  himsel'  frae  the  sicht  o'  them  'at  lo'ed 
him  well  that  he  might  hide  himseP  in  their  verra  hearts." 
The  following  will  illustrate  the  death  of  Christ  for  us: 

More  than  three  hundred  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  according  to 
the  fable,  the  ground  in  the  middle  of  the  Forum,  in  Rome,  suddenly  opened 
to  a  great  breadth  and  depth,  it  was  supposed  by  the  violence  of  an  earth- 
quake. As  the  earth  continued  to  gape,  making  a  chasm  much  too  wide 
and  deep  to  be  filled  up,  the  Roman  citizens  became  terrified,  and  rushed  to 
consult  their  Augurs,  or  prophets. 

These  Augurs  returned  the  answer  M  that  the  chasm  would  never  close 
until  that  wherein  the  strength  and  power  of  the  Roman  people  chiefly  con- 
sisted was  flung  into  it."  There  was  great  consultation  and  much  doubt  as  to 
what  this  answer  could  mean,  until  at  last  a  young  man  started  forth  from 
among  the  people  and  demanded  whether  Rome  possessed  any  thing  more 
valuable  than  a/rms  and  valor  ?  He  then  armed  himself  completely  from 
head  to  foot,  and,  mounting  his  horse,  he  spurred  him  on,  and  both  horse  and 
rider  leaped  into  the  pit  and  were  swallowed  up  in  it.  The  story  declares 
that  this  act  of  self-devotion  saved  the  city,  for  the  ground  immediately 
closed  up  again  as  it  had  been  before 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       127 

INITIAL  EXERCISES. 

Elijah   at  the  Brook   Cherith.  1  Kings  xvii,  1-16. 
"  Give  ^^^  ROOK  CHERITH  FOR  WATER. 

us  I    Bread 

this  day        I    Brought  by 
our  mJH  1RDS 

DAILY  BKEAD,"     |  "^ARREL  WITH  A  LITTLE  MEAL, 
the  I      lUT  ENOUGH 

heavenly  4      BECAUSE  OF  GOD'S 

bread.  Jha#LESSlNG. 

[See  also  object  illustration  on  "  The  Lily  "  in  first  section 
of  Appendix.] 

A  poor  widow  and  her  little  child  were  sitting  together  in  great  want, 
both  feeling  the  pinches  of  hunger,  and  the  child  looked  up  into  the  mother's 
face  and  said : 

M  Mother,  God  won't  starve  us,  will  he  ?  " 
"No,  my  child,"  said  the  mother,  "I  do  not  think  he  will." 
"But,  mother,"  said  the  child,  "if  he  does,  we  will  still  praise  him  as 
long  as  we  live ;  won't  we,  mother  ?  " 

God's  care  for  us  is  so  great  that  he  has  given  his  only  Son  to  save  us. 
Illustrate  this  by  the  story  of  a  hen  who  defended  her  chickens  with 
great  courage  from  the  attack  of  a  hawk,  but  a  moment  after  she  had  killed 
the  hawk  she  herself  died  of  wounds  and  exhaustion.  So  Christ  died  to 
save  us.  "  All  this  God  did  for  thee  ;  what  hast  thou  done  for  him  ?"  Do 
you  praise  him  for  his  care  by  living  a  Christian  life  ? 

Paul  in  Melita.  Acts  xxviii,  1-10. 

AVED  FROM 

TRIFE  OF  FOES; 

AVED  FROM 

TORM; 

HOOK  OFF  THE 

HAKE  OFF  EVIL  HABITS. 
AVED  THROUGH  CHRIST. 

The  power  of  Christ  to  keep  us,  as  he  did  Paul,  may  be 
illustrated  with  the  following  extract  from  Mr.  Moody: 

"In  Psalm  cxxi  it  is  written,  'Behold,  he  that  keepeth  Israel  shall 
neither  slumber  nor  sleep.  The  Lord  is  thy  keeper.'  If  he  is  our  keeper, 
can  any  thing  hurt   us?     Keep  this  in  your  hearts,  that  Christ  is  able  to 


128       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

save  you.  He  is  not  only  able  to  light  you  upon  the  way,  but  he  is  able  to 
keep  you  from  this  night  and  from  this  hour,  until  he  presents  you  before 
the  throne  without  spot  and  without  blemish.  Don't  tell  me  he  doesn't 
have  the  power  to  keep  you.  He  has.  That  is  what  Christ  came  into  the 
world  for,  to  keep  sinners.  Some  men  have  an  idea  when  they  get  con- 
verted that  they  have  got  to  keep  Christ  and  themselves  too.  It  is  all 
wrong.  I  remember  one  time  my  little  girl  was  teasing  her  mother  to  get 
her  a  muff,  so  one  day  her  mother  brought  a  muff  home,  and,  although 
it  was  storming,  she  very  naturally  wanted  to  go  out,  in  order  to  try  her 
new  muff.  So  she  tried  to  get  me  to  go  out  with  her.  I  went  out  with 
her,  and  I  said,  '  Emma,  better  let  me  take  your  hand.'  She  wanted  to 
keep  her  hands  in  her  muff,  so  she  refused  to  take  my  hand.  "Well,  by 
and  by  she  came  to  an  icy  place,  her  little  feet  slipped,  and  down  she  went. 
When  I  helped  her  up  she  said,  'Papa,  you  may  give  me  your  little  finger.' 
•  No,  my  daughter,  just  take  my  hand.'  'No,  no,  papa;  give  me  your  little 
finger.'  Well,  I  gave  my  finger  to  her,  and  for  a  little  way  she  got  along 
nicely,  but  pretty  soon  we  came  to  another  icy  place,  and  again  she  fell. 
This  time  she  hurt  herself  a  little,  and  she  said,  'Papa,  give  me  your 
hand,'  and  I  gave  her  my  hand,  and  closed  my  fingers  about  her  wrist,  and 
held  her  up,  so  that  she  could  not  fall.  Just  so  God  is  our  keeper.  Is 
there  a  man  here  who  can't  go  by  a  saloon  without  wanting  to  go  in  ?  Just 
let  him  throw  himself  upon  the  Lord,  saying,  '  Lord,  Jesus,  keep  me.'  " 

«+♦<•■ 


WORD  EXERCISES. 

The  Lamentation   of   Amos.    Amos  v,  1-15. 

Not  Bethel's  idols. 

Him  (God)  he  will  be  FOUND  of  thee. 

Ye  me  and  ye  shall  LIVE. 

Good  and  not  evil. 

And  ye  shall  find. 

HIM 

that  maketh  "  HE  THAT 

stars, 
morning,  SEEKETH 

night, 

waters,  FINDETH." 

strength. 

In  reviewing  this  lesson  first  write  the  warning  of  Amos, 
iC  Seek  not  Bethel's  idols."  Then  the  prophet's  exhortation, 
"  Seek  him  that  maketh,"  etc.     Then  the  promise,  "  If  thou 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       129 

seek  him,"  etc.  The  result  is  not  only  to  find  him  but  to 
"  live  "  in  him,  "  Seeking  good,  not  evil."  Illustrate  seeking 
and  finding  Christ. 

Paul  at  Athens.  Acts  xvii,  22-34. 
An  infidel  was  one  day  troubled  in  his  mind  as  he  sat  in 
his  room  alone,  while  his  little  Nellie  was  away  at  Sunday- 
school.  He  had  often  said,  "  There  is  no  God,"  but  could 
not  satisfy  himself  with  his  skepticism,  and  at  this  time  he 
felt  especially  troubled  as  thoughts  of  the  Sunday-school  and 
of  the  wonderful  works  of  creation  would  push  their  way 
into  his  mind.  To  quiet  these  troublesome  thoughts  he  took 
some  large  cards  and  printed  on  each  of  them,  "  God  is  no- 
where" and  hung  them  up  in  his  study.  [Print  it  on  the  black- 
board,] 

"GOD    IS    NOWHERE." 

Nellie  soon  came  home,  and  began  to  talk  about  God ;  but 
her  father  pointed  her  to  one  of  the  cards,  and  said,  "Can  you 
read  that?"  She  climbed  a  chair  and  began  eagerly  to  spell 
it  out :  "  G-o-d,  God,  i-s,  is,  n-o-w,  now,  h-e-r-e,  here ;  God  is 
now  here.  Isn't  that  right,  papa  ?  I  know  it  is  right — God 
is  now  here"  The  man's  heart  was  touched,  and  his  infidel- 
ity banished,  by  the  faith  of  Nellie,  and  again  the  prophecy 
was  fulfilled,  "  A  little  child  shall  lead  them." 

Let  the  blackboard  delineator  then  put  a  line  under  "  now  " 
to  make  it  a  separate  word  and  also  to  emphasize  it,  and  then 
teach  the  school  from  this  motto  and  story  that  "  God  is  not 
far  from  every  one  of  us  "  in  all  that  we  do  and  say  and  think. 

O   LORD,  THOU  ART 

TO  FORGIVE, 

TO  KEEP  PROMISES, 

TO  GUIDE,    ' 
FOREVER, 


NEAR 

By  the  blood  of  Christ. 


[See  Rom.  viii,  1 ;  2  Cor.  i,  20 ;  Heb.  viii,  8 ;  John  xvi,  23.] 

9 


130       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

A  missionary  visited  a  poor  old  woman  living  alone  in  a  city  attic,  and 
whose  scanty  pittance  of  half  a  crown  a  week  was  scarcely  sufficient  for 
her  bare  subsistence.  He  observed  in  a  broken  tea-pot  that  stood  at  the 
window  a  strawberry  plant  growing.  He  remarked  from  time  to  time  how 
it  continued  to  grow,  and  with  what  care  it  was  watched  and  tended.  One 
day  he  said,  "  Your  plant  flourishes  nicely ;  you  will  soon  have  strawberries 
upon  it."  "  0,  sir,"  replied  the  woman,  "  it  is  not  for  the  sake  of  the  fruit 
that  I  prize  it,  but  I  am  too  poor  to  keep  any  living  creature,  and  it  is  a 
great  comfort  to  me  to  have  that  living  plant,  for  I  know  it  can  only  live  by 
the  power  of  God ;  and  as  I  see  it  live  and  grow  from  day  to  day,  it  tells 
me  that  God  is  near." 

Elijah  at  Horeb.  1  Kings  xix,  8-19. 

WHAT  DOESTTHOU  HERE? 


IN  PRAYER  TO 

INTO  THE  WORLD  AS  A  YOICE  FOR 

TO  ANOINT  MEN  KINGS  UNTO 

TO  ROUSE  OTHERS  TO  WORK  FOR 

CONFIDENTLY  IN  THE  STRENGTH  OF 


GOD 


Develop  these  five  points  in  God's  command  to  Elijah, 
and  then  apply  them  to  the  class  or  school.  The  following 
fragment  from  Mr.  Moody  will  be  appropriate  as  an  illus- 
tration : 

11  Elijah  had  a  mighty  power  with  God.  He  could  look  up  to  heaven  so 
that  it  should  not  rain  for  three  years  and  six  months.  He  stood  before  Ahab 
in  the  power  of  prayer.  Undoubtedly  he  had  read  that  God  would  withhold 
rain  if  his  people  turned  away  from  him,  and  he  prayed  that  it  might  not  rain. 
Then  it  was  his  prayer  that  brought  that  cloud  out  of  the  sea  that  covered  all 
Palestine.  Yet  we  find  him  under  that  juniper-tree  with  his  head  bowed 
down  like  a  bulrush,  and  he  prayed,  "  0  Lord,  take  away  my  life,  for  I  am 
not  better  than  my  fathers."  The  Lord  liked  him  too  well  to  answer  that 
prayer.  If  that  prayer  had  been  answered  we  would  not  like  to  tell  the  story 
to  our  own  children.  Was  it  not  better  that  he  should  go  to  heaven  in  a  char- 
iot of  fire?  He  prayed  for  death  and  didn't  get  it.  He  never  tasted  death. 
God  loved  Elijah  too  well  to  answer  that  prayer." 

There  is  room  in  the  Church,  and  need,  for  all  manner  of  workers.  Open 
your  watch;  your  eye  falls  on  jewels  there.  But  the  sparkling  jewels  can- 
not say  to  the  modest  coil  of  steel  beside  them,  "We  have  no  need  ot  thee," 
for  that  is  the  mainspring.  And  the  mainspring  cannot  say  to  the  tiniest 
cog-wheel,  "We  have  no  need  of  thee,"  for  without  it  the  works  stand 
still. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 
Gbhazi's  Sin.  2  Kings  v,  20-27. 


131 


riOVETOUSNESS 
UORKUPTS  THE  SOUL. 


IS  IT  A  TIME  TO 


{  1     <    c 

IICiIjEiI  V  H  s 


MONEY 

GARMENTS 

OLIVEYARDS 

VINEYARDS 

SHEEP   AND   OXEN   ft 


? 


TRUTH  BETTER  THAN  RICHES. 


Bible  illustrations  of  this  same  truth:  "The  Rich  Fool," 
with  his  "much  goods  laid  up  for  many  years;"  Ananias 
and  Sapphira ;  Demas,  who  "  forsook  "  Christ,  "  having  loved 
this  present  world'"  Achan  and  the  wedge  of  gold;  the 
Gadarenes,  who  "  besought  Christ  to  depart  out  of  their 
coasts"  because  they  loved  the  presence  of  a  few  swine 
more  than  the  presence  of  Jesus  to  save  men ;  the  people  of 
Malachi's  day,  when  the  temple  was  lacking  in  its  tithes  and 
offerings.  This  selfishness  may  also  be  strikingly  presented 
by  telling  the  story  of  Peter  "warming  himself"  when 
Christ  was  being  mocked  and  derided  at  the  other  end  of 
the  hall.  Then  write:  "HE  STOOD  BY  THE  FIRE 
AND  WARMED  HIMSELF." 

Review  of  Paul's  Early  Ministry.  See  Col.  iii,  20. 

WHAT  AND  HOW  TO 


WHATSOEVEE  YE 

1.  Reproving  sin. 

2.  Testifying  for  God. 
8.  Bearing  persecution. 

4.  Helping  the  needy. 

5.  Observing  ceremonies. 
t>.  Mission  work. 

7.  Sinking  sacred  songs. 

8.  Studying  the  Bible. 
!•  Worshiping  G-od. 

10.  Transacting  heavenly  business. 

11.  Seeking  the  Holy  Ghost. 

12.  Opposing  public  evils. 

13.  Teaching  God's  truth. 


ons, 
ervants. 


Heartily  noTasS 

As  unto  the  Lord, 

GOD-PLEASERS. 

Not  as  unto  men, 
NOT  MEN-PLEASERS. 


132       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

This  plan  for  review  is  very  simple,  but  with  skillful  ques- 
tioning and  illustration  may  be  made  very  complete  and  in- 
teresting. The  superintendent  says,  u  This  quarter's  lessons 
tells  us  '  what  and  how  to  do.'  (Write  it.)  First,  let  us  find 
what  they  tell  us  by  example  and  precept  to  do."  "  What 
is  done  in  the  first  lesson?"  The  answer  will  be  in  sub- 
stance, if  not  in  words,  "Reproving  sin."  (Write  it.)  "  How 
can  we  reprove  and  discountenance  sin  ?  "  "  Various  an- 
swers given  and  the  right  ones  emphasized,  the  others  cor- 
rected. "  Now  what  was  done  in  the  second  lesson  ?  "  By 
a  similar  development  each  point  of  the  thirteen  indicated  is 
brought  out  and  written.  When  "  What  is  to  be  done  "  has 
been  shown,  then  "  How  to  do"  is  developed  from  the  review 
golden  text,  and  "heartily,"  "as  unto  the  Lord,"  etc.,  are 
written  and  enforced.  The  thought  of  doing  every  thing 
with  a  thought  of  God  may  be  thus  illustrated  : 

La  Fontaine,  chaplain  in  the  Prussian  army,  once  preached  a  very  earnest 
and  eloquent  sermon  on  the  sin  and  folly  of  yielding  to  a  hasty  temper. 
The  next  day  he  was  accosted  by  a  major  of  the  regiment  with  the  words: 

"Well,  sir,  I  think  you  made  use  of  the  prerogatives  of  your  office  to 
give  me  some  very  sharp  hints,  yesterday." 

"I  certainly  thought  of  you  while  I  was  preparing  the  sermon,"  was  the 
answer,  "  but  I  had  no  intention  of  being  personal  or  sharp." 

"Well,  it  is  no  use,"  said  the  major;  "I have  a  hasty  temper,  and  I  can- 
not help  it,  and  I  cannot  control  it.     It  is  impossible." 

And  still  adhering  to  this  opinion,  after  some  further  conversation  he 
went  his  way. 

The  next  Sabbath  La  Fontaine  preached  upon  self-deception,  and  the  vain 
excuses  which  men  are  wont  to  make. 

"  Why,"  said  he,  "a  man  will  declare  that  it  is  impossible  to  control  his 
temper,  when  ho  very  well  knows  that,  were  the  same  provocation  to  happen 
in  the  presence  of  his  sovereign,  he  not  only  could,  but  would,  control  him- 
self entirely.  And  yet  he  dares  to  say  that  the  continual  presence  of  the 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  imposes  upon  him  neither  restraint  nor 
fear!" 

The  next  day  his  friend,  the  major,  again  accosted  him. 

"  You  were  right  yesterday,  chaplain.  Hereafter,  when  you  see  me  in 
danger  of  falling,  'REMIND  ME  OF  THE  KING.'" 


THROUGH  THE   EYE  TO  THE   HEART.  133 

Eltsha  and  Ahab.  1  Kings  xviii,  5-18. 

TROUBLE- 


HE  THAT  m"n/"\TT"nT    TT^TH  ISRAEL 

THE  WICKED  ARE  LIKE  A  \-f  I    I  I       kf  U  D  SEA. 

THE  LO^cD  SHALL  I     I  L  \J  U  ±J  Lj  JJj    THEE. 


GOD    BRINGS 

TO  SIN  NOT  PEACE,  BUT  A  SWORD. 

TRUTH    TURNS    THE 

If  ye  were  of  the  TT7  A  T\  T  TV 

The  11/  I        I  I  would  love  his  own ; 

But  because  ye  are  not  of  the  11/  I       % 

But  God  hath  chosen  you  out  of  the     III  11 

Therefore  the  If    \J  JLL.UJL/  hatethyou. 

Upside   down. 
"HE  STIEEETH  UP  THE  PEOPLE." 


Results  op  Disobedience.  2  Kings  xvii,  6-18. 

"BECAUSE  THEY  OBEYED  NOT 

THE  VOICE  OF  THE  LORD;"— 

JESUS  CAME  TO  SEEK  AND  SAVE  THAT 

WHICH  WAS 

ADAM  AND  EYE  f    AM  |W1  EDEN. 

ANTEDILUVIANS  If1  III  I  LI™. 

ESAU  I  %  BIRTHRIGHT. 

ISRAEL  %  FREEDOM. 

ALL  ARE   llUU  1  Without  Christ. 


MAY 

BE 
SAVED. 


YOU 
SAVED? 


CHRIST  IS  SEEKING 


YOU 


ARE  IUU  SEEKING  HIM? 


Take  three  pieces  of  muslin  or  paper,  one  black,  another  blood-red,  and 
another  white,  and  cut  them  into  three  leaves  of  equal  size.  Put  them  into 
some  small  blank-book  cover,  and  fasten  them  in  so  that  the  first  leaf  shall  be 
black,  the  next  red,  the  next  white.  Use  it  in  telling  and  applying  this  incident. 
An  old  preacher  was  accustomed  to  walk  often  in  his  garden  with  a  little 
book  in  his  hand.  His  friends  wondered  what  there  was  about  the  book 
that  made  it  so  interesting.  They  found  it  had  but  three  leaves,  and  nothing 
written  or  printed  on  either  of  them,  yet  his  face  changed  from  sadness  to 
joy  as  he  turned  it  over.  The  first  page  was  perfectly  black,  (show  it,)  the 
next  red,  (show  it,)  the  next  white,  (show  it.)     At  length  he  told  them  its 


1  THE  BIBLE. 


134       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

meaning.  The  black  represented  the  guilty  and  sorrowful  days  of  his  sin, 
and  no  black  was  deep  enough  to  picture  it ;  the  red  reminded  him  of  the 
cleansing  blood,  and  the  white,  of  his  heart  cleansed  by  the  blood.  Notice 
especially  that  when  you  turn  the  second  page  the  black  is  all  under  the  red, 
so  when  then  the  atonement  is  applied  to  our  hearts  "  the  past  is  all  under 
the  bloods  "  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as 
snow." 

This  might  be  used  also  with  Acts  xvi,  22-34 ;  xxvi, 
6-20. 

The  Bible-keading  Bereans.  Acts  xvii,  1-14. 

SEARCH 
UNDERSTAND 
LOYE  I 

REJOICE  IN  I 

MEDITATE  UPON 
LIYE  UP  TO  J 

IGoest — it  shall  lead 
Sleepest — it  shall  keep  }  Thee. 

Awakest — it  shall  talk  with 

Draw  a  large,  open  Bible,  and  on  its  two  pages  write  the 
words  above.  After  impressing  these  points,  draw  a  heart 
aronnd  the  Bible  to  illustrate  the  importance  of  putting  it 
into  the  heart. 

Tell  the  following  story,  with  a  Bible  at  hand  to  show  at  the  appropriate 
time.    After  the  story  explain  how  the  Bible  fulfills  the  dream. 

Mary  was  sleeping.  An  angel  came  and  laid  under  her  hand  a  beautiful 
book.  Then  he  said  softly,  "  This  is  the  lamp  to  guide  you  in  darkness,  the 
curtain  to  cover  you  from  danger,  the  word  of  promise  to  keep  you  safely  while 
you  sleep,  and  the  sweet  voice  to  talk  to  you  when  you  are  awake."  Then 
the  angel  kissed  her,  and  sped  away  on  his  wings  of  light  to  his  home  be- 
yond the  stars.  Mary  awoke.  It  was  only  a  dream,  yet  it  seemed  as  if  an 
angel  had  really  talked  with  her  in  her  sleep;  and  ever  since  she  has  loved 
(taking  up  the  Bible)  her  precious  Bible  as  the  word  of  God  more  than  ever 
she  loved  it  before,  for  the  u  beautiful  book  "  which  the  angel  laid  under  her 
hand  was  the  Bible,  and  it  is  indeed  a  "guide,"  a  "curtain,"  a  protector, 
and  a  "sweet  voice  "  to  cheer  us. 

Read  in  connection  with  the  blackboard  exercise,  John 
v,  39;  Luke  xxiv,  45 ;  Psa.  cxix,  140;  Jer.  xv,  16;  Psa.  i,  2  ; 
Josh,  i,  8  ;  Prov.  vi,  20,  22. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEAET. 


135 


Paul  Before  Agrippa.  Acts  xxvi,  6-20. 
GEIPPA  believed  with  the  head. 

MAQT     persuaded  to  bs  a  Christian. 
LIVlUOl— BUT     LOST. 
RE    YOU 

LTOGETHEE 


£t 


I    ^Jh/L 


PERSUADED 


that 


NEITHER  DEATH 
OR  LIFE 


Shall  be  able  to  separate  me  from  the  love  of  God." 
Believest  thou? 

This  should  be  written  and  developed  one  line  at  a  time, 
until  at  the  close  of  the  exercise  it  has  the  appearance  indi- 
cated above. 


-+♦** 


PHRASE  EXERCISES. 

Paul  at  Jerusalem.  Acts  xxi,  27-39. 
BAD  MEN  CRIED 


ABEL, 

D    JOSEPH, 
MOKDECAI, 
DANIEL, 
PAUL, 
CHEIST, 


rv 


ngl 


AM  I   SATING, 

"Away  with.  Christ?" 

OR, 

"Away  with.  SinP" 

Write  at  first  only  "Bad  men  cried,  Away  with  the  right- 
eous." Write  "Abel ':  as  above,  and  give  the  story  of  Cain's 
hatred.  Then  M  Joseph  "  in  the  same  way,  and  each  name, 
with  the  story  of  his  persecution,  down  to  Christ.  Then 
write  the  application,  "Am  I  saying,  Away  with  Christ?  or, 
Away  with  sin  ?  " 


136       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  Yoke  Broken.  Acts  xv,  22-31. 
WHEN 

G-OD'S  WILL 


Forms  and  Ceremonies, 
Heartless  Rules. 
Superficial  Questions. 


YOKE  OF  BONDAGE. 


"  Necessary  Things  f* 

L0VE8&. 

COD'S 

2H3T  BURDEN. 


IS  OUR 

Law  |1 

WE  ARE 

But  noble  slaves.  I  God's  free  children. 

The  Shunammite's  Son.  2  Kings  iv,  25-37. 


IS  LIGHT. 


IT    IS 


IS  IT  WELL 


With  the  dead? 
With  the  living? 
With  thee? 


a  ■  ■    ■ 


Living  or  dying,  you  are  the   Lord's." 

The  following  poems  may  appropriately  be  repeated   with 
this  exercise  as  illustrations : 

"Who  plucked  that  flower?  "  said  the  gardener 
As  he  passed  through  the  garden. 
His  fellow-servant  answered,  "  The  Master," 
And  the  gardener  held  his  peace. 

The  baby  wept : 
The  mother  took  it  from  the  nurse's  arms, 
And  soothed  its  griefs  and  stilled  its  vain  alarms, 

And  baby  slept. 

Again  it  weeps ; 
And  God  doth  take  it  from  the  mother's  arms, 
From  present  pain  and  future  unknown  harms— 

And  baby  sleeps. 


THROUGH  THE   EYJS  TO  THE  HEABT.  137 

Paul  Sent  to  Macedonia.  Acts  xvi,  1-15. 

II  MM 


CHEIST  Ca+  WnrA  PA^L       1  IT     ART  AT     hAAH    To  Macedonia. 

I  HAVE  oCl   U  0  THEE       \\\     J  1 1 1  L  I\l      1 1 1  1 1  I  U    To  Christian  work. 


HAVE  Mi   uuiuiu  THEE 
YDIA 
HAVE  I 


LYDIA  Set  before  Christ 


To  S^  heart  ? 


"My  son,  give  me  thine  heart." 

"Not  yet,"  said  the  little  boy  as  he  was  busy  with  his  trap  and  ball; 
"  when  I  grow  older  I  will  think  about  it." 

The  little  boy  grew  to  be  a  young  man. 

"Not  yet,"  said  the  young  man;  "I  am  now  about  to  enter  into  trade; 
when  I  see  my  business  prosper,  then  I  shall  have  more  time  than  now." 

Business  did  prosper. 

"  Not  yet,"  said  the  man  of  business;  "my  children  must  now  have  my 
care;  when  they  are  settled  in  life  I  shall  be  better  able  to  attend  to  re- 
ligion." 

He  lived  to  be  a  gray-headed  old  man. 

"  Not  yet,"  still  he  cried ;  "  I  shall  soon  retire  from  trade,  and  then  I  shall 
have  nothing  else  to  do  but  to  read  and  pray." 

And  so  he  died. 

*~* 

ACROSTIC  EXERCISES. 

The  Sin  of  Jeroboam.  1  Kings  xii,  25-33. 

"Behold  your  gods!" 

CoVETOUSNESS, 

_a.ppetite, 
Love  of  fame, 
Vices, 

Earthly  wealth, 
Sinful  pleasures. 

First  print  upon  the  board  only  the  acrostic  letters  <4C, 
A,  L,  Y,  E,  S,"  and  then  write  above  them  Jeroboam's  words, 
"  Behold  your  gods ! "  Show  the  folly  of  calf-worship  and 
all  idolatry.  Then  ask  what  idols  are  worshiped  in  Chris- 
tian lands  to-day,  and  in  substance  the  answer  will  doubtless 


138       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

be,  *  covetousness,"  "  appetite,"  etc.,  as  above.  Let  each  be 
written  down  and  illustrated,  and  the  folly  and  wickedness 
of  worshiping  these  in  place  of  God  duly  enforced. 

The  Gospel  at  Antioch.  Acts  xiii,  26-41. 

UOD  DELIVERED  ISRAEL. 
Led  HIS  PEOPLE  TO  CANAAN. 

Aided  them  to  conquer  and  keep  it. 

JJavid  was  given  as  their  leader. 

JL  he  promise  of  Christ 

J-ii  his  condemnation,  prophecy 

De«veringhimtoJprophecy  >  F U 1 H J 1 G (1  * 

JLn  his  burial,  prophecy 

li  o  less  in  his  resurrection,  prophecy 

VJod  justifies  and  forgives  all  who  believe  in  Christ. 

Oave  me,  Jesus,  save  me  now. 

The  prophecies  fulfilled  are  in  order,  Psa.  cxxxii,  11 ;  Isa. 
liii,  5  ;  liii,  8 ;  liii,  9 ;  Psa.  xvi,  10. 

The  following  acrostic  is  also  appropriate  to  the  lesson : 

"Ci  Promised 

j:  all  of  Redeemer 

Adam  °f 

Man 

Lost  Invites 

T  Sinners  to 

J-JIFE  ETERNAL.  ENTER  INTO 

THE  PARADISE  OF  GOD. 


THROUGH  THE  EVE  TO  THE  HEART. 


139 


Promise  op  Revival.  Hosea  xiv,  1-9. 

RETURNING  TO  GOD,  AND  \ 

ECONSEORATION. 

xLarnest  prater.  >  Conditions. 

Vain  idols  abandoned.  J 

Infinite  healing  and  love. 
Vine-like  growth  in  christ.  v 

A  >Results, 

A.    LILY'S  BEAUTY. 
-LEBANON'S  STRENGTH. 


insr  zmzie  is  TiEarsr  help: 


Power  op  the  Word.  Acts  xix,  17-28. 


PUT    OFF 

Slothfulness, 

Intemperance, 

No  HAPPINESS, 

Fear  op  man, 
Uncleanness, 
Love  op  money, 
IV  o  PEACE, 
Envy  and  hatred, 
Speaking  evil, 
Self, 


Rom. 

xii, 

11 

Luke  xxi, 

34. 

Psa.  xlii, 

11. 

Gen 

.  x^ 

,lf 

Gal 

•▼» 

19. 

Heb. 

xiii 

,5. 

Gen. 

xii 

,8 

Lev. : 

rix, 

IS 

. 

Eph. 

iv, 

29. 

Matt,  xvi, 

24 

PUT    ON 

Repentance,  Luke  v,  20 

Indwelling  Christ, 

GrOOD   COMPANY, 


Humility, 

Temperance, 

Earnestness, 

Offerings, 

Usefulness, 

Sincerity, 

New  love, 


Gal.  ii,  20. 
Psa.  cxix,  63. 

1  Pet.  v,  5. 

2  Pet.  i,  6. 
2  Pet.  iii,  14. 
1  Cor.  xvi,  2. 

Mic.  vi,  8. 

Eph.  iv,  24. 

John  xv,  12. 


Efforts  for  others,  John  i,  40,  41. 
Spirit  of  God,  Acts  ii,  3. 

Saviour's  likeness,  j  g^f Ii** 


In  illustrating  temperance  use  the  following: 

Take  such  a  jug  as  is  ordinarily  used  for  strong  drink,  and  break  the  bot- 
tom out;  then  use  it  with  this  story:  Dr.  Tyng  met  an  emigrant  family 
going  West.  On  one  of  the  wagons  there  hung  a  jug  with  the  bottom 
knocked  out.  ""What  is  that?"  asked  the  doctor.  "Why,  it  is  my  Taylor 
jug,"  said  the  man.  "And  what  is  a  Taylor  jug?  "  asked  the  doctor  again. 
"  1  had  a  son  in  General  Taylor's  army  in  Mexico,  and  the  general  always 
told  him  to  carry  his  whisky  jug  with  a  hole  in  the  bottom,  and  that's  it. 
It  is  the  best  invention  I  ever  met  with  for  hard  drinkers." 


140  THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

"Search  the  Scriptures."  John  v,  39;  Acts  xvii,  11 

SEARCH  the  I  Psa.  cxix,  24;  John  v,  39; 
CRIPTURES  j  1  John  ii,  12,  13. 

JuARNESTLY,  Josh,  i,  8;  Psa.  cxix,  18. 

Anxiously,  John  xx,  31 ;  Psa.  cxix,  9. 

IbEGULARLY,  Acts  xvii,  11;  Psa.  i,  2. 


Uarbi 

(JMBLY.  Luke  xxiv,  45;  James  1,  22. 


AREFULLY    Luke  xxiv,  27:  2  Tim.  iii.  16,  17 

Hi 


"How  Shall  I  Work?" 

L  ooking  to  Jesus. 
O  rderly. 

V  aliantly. 
I  n  hope. 

N  ever  doubting. 

G  lorifying  God. 

L  iving  near  the  Cross. 

Y  ielding  all  to  Christ.  J.  B.  Phippe. 


Giving  to  God. 


1.  HOW 


1 


re  G  ularly, 
will  I  ngly, 
de  Voutly, 
lib  B  rally, 


UNTO    THE 


2.  WHY 


Ij  oves  the  giver, 
O  rdains  the  possession, 
R  e wards  the  act, 
D  emands  the  duty. 

&  S.  Times 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


141 


PARALLEL  AND  CONTRAST  EXERCISES. 

Paul  Encouraged  by  Christ.  Acts  xxiii,  11. 


WHEN 


Paul 
was 


I 

am 


in  trouble  and 
in  duty. 


"THE  LORD 

will 


stood 

by 
him." 


stand 

by 

me. 


SAYING, 

"Be  of  good 

cheer." 


"Testify  of 


me/ 


JLet  not  your  heart  be  troubled: 

YE    BELIEVE. 

First  develop  and  write,  "  When  Paul  was  in  trouble  and 
in  duty,  the  Lord  stood  by  him,  saying,  'Be  of  good  cheer,' 
etc."  After  describing  the  scene  in  the  experience  of  Paul, 
write  and  apply  the  thought,  "  When  I  am  in  trouble  and  in 
duty  the  Lord  will  stand  by  me,  saying,  c  Be  of  good  cheer,5 
etc."  The  following  words  of  Mr.  Moody  will  illustrate  this 
exercise : 

"  I  tell  you  when  I  read  the  life  of  Paul  it  makes  me  ashamed  of  the 
Christians  of  to-day.  Look  at  what  he  has  done ;  see  how  he  has  suffered. 
Four  times  was  he  beaten ;  forty  stripes  save  one  received  he  on  his  bare  back. 
If  we  should  get  one  stripe  what  a  time  there  would  be — what  books  writ- 
ten about  it — yet  with  Paul  it  was  a  common  thing  to  be  beaten.  What 
would  be  Paul's  answer  to  those  who  should  say  to  him,  '  You  have  suf- 
ered  a  good  deal ;  you  have  been  beaten  four  times  before,  and  now  they 
are  going  to  strip  your  back  bare.  What  are  you  going  to  do?  Why  don't 
you  go  to  some  safe  place  until  this  thing  blows  over?'  What  does  he 
say ?  'I  do  this  one  thing— I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the 
high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.'  He  never  complained.  The  devil 
got  his  match  when  he  got  hold  of  Paul.  Why,  neither  angels,  nor  princi- 
palities, nor  powers,  were  able  to  separate  him  from  God.  Yery  few  you 
will  find  who  are  working  for  him  to-day ;  very  few  are  striving  for  a 
crown.  They  are  taking  the  name,  but  leaving  the  work  for  others.  Once 
Paul  was  stoned,  and  left  with  his  head  all  bruised — left  for  dead;  but  he 
leaps  in  the  race-course  again,  and  I  think  I  can  see  him  as  he  goes  on 


142       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEaRT. 

preaching  the  word  with  his  head  all  bruised.  Then  he  went  to  Corinth, 
and  for  eighteen  months  he  preached  the  word,  without  price  and  without  gain, 
and  after  he  had  labored  among  the  Corinthians  for  a  time,  how  did  they 
pay  him  ?  Why,  they  gave  him  thirty-one  stripes.  One  man  like  Paul  of 
Tarsus  is  worth  more  than  all  the  mighty  men  of  the  world.  You  may 
talk  of  Alexander  making  the  world  tremble ;  of  Napoleon,  who  gained  so 
many  victories ;  but  the  little  tent-maker  of  Tarsus  did  more  than  they 
ever  did.  He  had  got  his  treasure  in  heaven ;  he  had  laid  his  treasure  up 
yonder.  Three  times  was  he  beaten  with  rods ;  once  was  he  stoned — '  in 
perils  of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers,  and  in  perils  by  mine  own  countrymen ' 
— yet  none  of  these  things  turned  him  from  serving  the  Lord  G-od.  "Would 
to  ij£d  the  Church  people  were  as  earnest  in  their  work  as  he  was,  and  cared 
as  lSle  for  worldly  reward  as  he  did.  But  the  people  of  to-day  are  always 
looking  to  see  what  the  newspapers  say  when  they  do  a  good  thing.  The 
world  didn't  think  much  of  Paul.  His  name  was  cast  about  from  town  to 
town.  Yet  he  said  he  counted  every  thing  done  as  done  for  Christ.  And  then 
we  find  that  the  governor  of  Damascus  wanted  to  apprehend  him,  and  how 
some  of  his  friends  let  him  down  in  a  basket  through  a  window  in  the  wall. 
Look  at  him  as  he  comes  down  in  that  basket,  and  away  he  goes  with 
the  glad  tidings.  You  can't  stop  him.  That  is  the  spirit  we  want  to  take 
in  our  workings  for  God.  Let  nothing  daunt  us,  but  in  all  things — under 
all  circumstances — stand  up  boldly  for  him.  Then  he  goes  over  into  Phil- 
ippi  and  gets  into  prison.  Ah,  how  much  we  would  have  murmured  at  that ; 
and  I  can  imagine  it  was  the  time  for  worship,  and  after  they  had  prayed,  God 
responded  to  his  amen,  and  the  prison  shook,  and  their  bonds  were  loos- 
ened. 0,  my  friends,  praise  God  in  the  prison  as  well  as  out  of  it.  Praise 
the  Lord  at  all  times.  Paul  rejoiced  in  persecutions.  He  was  glad  to  do  so. 
Look  at  him  in  Rome.  There  he  was  to  be  beheaded.  His  head  was  to  be 
laid  upon  the  guillotine  and  to  be  taken  off.  Go  ask  him  if  he  is  sorry  for 
what  he  has  done  for  the  Son  of  God.  Hear  what  he  wrote  to  his  friends : 
'I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus.' 

"  '  Blessed  be  God,  even  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Father 
of  mercies,  and  the  God  of  all  comfort ;  who  comforteth  us  in  all  our  tribu- 
lation, that  we  may  be  able  to  comfort  them  which  are  in  any  trouble  by 
the  comfort  wherewith  we  ourselves  are  comforted  of  God.  For  as  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  abound  in  us,  so  our  consolation  also  aboundeth  in 
Christ.' 

"  '  Now  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself,  and  God,  even  our  Father,  which 
hath  loved  us,  and  hath  given  us  everlasting  consolation  and  good  hope 
through  grace,  comfort  your  hearts  and  stablish  you  in  every  good  word 
and  work.'  " 


THKOUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


143 


Elijah  Translated. 

GOD    TOOK 
ELIJAH     I     CHRIST 
in  a  chariot  of 
FIRE,        I     CLOUD, 
But  left 
Double  portion  of  his  spirit  I        Power  of  Holy  Spirit 
tliat  his   work  might 
be  continued  by 
ELISHA.      I  US. 

HAVE   I   RECEIVED  CHRIST'S  SPIRIT-MANTLE? 
[See  also  object  illustration  of  "  The  Watch,"  and  "  The 
Living  Water,"  in  first  section  of  Appendix.] 


Elijah  and  the  Prophets  op  Baal.  1   Kings  xviii,  19-29. 

"choose  ye." 

if 

THE  LOED 


W 
o 


The  Baal 

of 

Fame, 

Wealth, 

Pleasure, 

Be  GOD, 


BE 


GOD, 


CTD 


FOLLOW   HIM. 

Archimedes  was  so  intent  upon  drawing  his  mathematical  schemes,  that, 
though  all  the  city  was  in  alarm,  the  enemy  having  taken  it  by  storm,  and 
the  streets  being  filled  with  dead  bodies,  the  soldiers  came  into  his  particular 
house,  nay,  entered  his  very  study,  and  plucked  him  by  the  sleeve,  before 
he  took  any  notice  of  it.  Even  so,  many  men's  hearts  are  immersed 
and  drowned  in  earthly  cares,  thoughts,  projects,  or  pleasures,  that  death 
must  come  to  their  very  houses,  yea,  and  pull  them  by  the  sleeve,  and  tell 
them  its  errand,  before  they  will  begin  to  awake  and  come  to  a  serious 
consideration  of  tilings  more  important. 


144       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

Elijah  and  His  Sacrifice.  1  Kings  xviii,  36-46. 

In  a  village  near  the  sea-coast  in  the  south  of  England  there 
lived,  a  year  or  two  ago,  an  old  man,  by  trade  a  shoemaker. 
I  often  looked  in  upon  him  as  he  sat  at  his  stall,  making  or 
mending  shoes,  and  had  many  interesting  conversations  re- 
specting the  state  of  his  soul,  but  generally  came  away  dis- 
heartened and  sad,  for  he  was  built  up  in  self-righteousness. 
One  day,  after  a  long  conversation  with  him,  I  perceived 
that  all  I  said  was  of  no  use,  and,  pausing  for  a  moment, 
lifted  up  my  heart  in  prayer  to  God  that  he  would  help  me 
to  set  forth  the  truth  so  as  to  strike  upon  the  conscience  of 
this  poor,  perishing  sinner.  With  my  cane  I  slowly  drew  a 
line  on  the  sand  of  the  cottage  floor,  and,  looking  up,  said, 
"  Do  you  see  that  line  ?  "  He  had  watched  my  action,  won- 
dering what  I  was  about,  and  answered,  "  Yes,  sir."  "  Well, 
then,  mark  me,  said  I: 
"  On  this  side  of  that  line  is :  On  the  other  side  is  : 


DEATH, 

LOST, 

HELL, 

DARKNESS, 

DAMNATION, 

MISERY, 

SATAN, 


LIFE, 

SAVED, 

HEAVEN, 

LIGHT, 

SALVATION, 

HAPPINESS, 

GOD. 


On  Which  Side  Are  Yott  ?  " 

I  paused,  perceiving  that  I  had  at  length  caught  his  atten- 
tion. His  fixed  look  and  earnest,  solemnized  manner  proved 
that  he  understood  and  felt  what  I  had  been  saying ;  and  on 
my  repeating  still  more  strongly,  "  Ox  Which  Side  Are 
Yon  ?  "  he  slowly  replied,  "  On  the  Lost  Side."  "  I  am  not 
sorry  to  hear  you  say  so,"  I  continued.  u  These  are  the  first 
words  of  truth  concerning  yourself  that  I  have  heard  you 
utter;  and  as  you  are  on  the  lost  side,  there  is  only  one 
other  side  on  which  you  can  be,  and  that  is  the  saved.  Al- 
together lost  now,  you  may  be  at  once  and  forever  saved  by 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       145 

believing  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To  believe  in  Jesus  is 
to  step  across  the  line  at  once :  or  rather,  the  lost  sinner  that 
trusts  in  the  Lamb  of  God  is  translated  by  himself  out  of  the 
power  of  darkness  into  the  kingdom  of  his  dear  Son.  No 
effort  of  yours — no  works,  no  good  resolutions,  no  good 
prayers — can  translate  you  from  fitness  for  hell  to  fitness  for 
heaven.  Christ  alone  can  do  that,  and  when  with  earnest 
cry  we  ask  him  he  will  not  refuse.  His  words  are,  a  Him 
that  cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  nowise  cast  out."  The  old 
shoemaker  found  this  true  by  blessed  experience,  and  now 
he  has  gone  to  be  forever  with  the  Lord.  On  which  side  of 
the  line  are  you  f 

Paul's  Account  of  His  Conversion.  Acts  xxvi,  21-29, 
ARE    YOU 

DISOBEDIENT  TO  THE  HEAVENLY  VISION? 

PAUL    HAD     I     WE    HAVE 

11  LIGHT  ABOVE  THE  BEIGHTNESS  OF  THE  SUN." 

PAUL    HEARD 

An  Audible  Voice 

from  Heaven. 

How  shall  we  escape,  if— 

[See  object  illustrations  "  The    Photograph,"  and  "  Re- 
newed in  Christ,"  in  first  section  of  Appendix.] 


WE    HEAR 

THE  BIBLE'S 
THE  CHURCH'S 
THE  HOLY  SPIRIT'S 


Paul  at  Ltstba.  Acts  xiv,  8-26. 


GOD 

created  man 

"A  little  less  than  DIVINE:" 

recreated  man  as 

"SONS   OF   GOD." 

WE  SHALL  BE 

LIKE   CHRIST. 


THE    DEVIL 

promised, 

"YE  SHALL  BE  AS  GODS." 

FULFILLMENTS. 

1.  Adam  and  Eve  hiding  in  bushes. 

2.  Proud  Babel  builders  scattered. 

3.  Proud    Nebuchadnezzar    eating 

grass. 

4.  Pope  stripped  of  power. 

5.  A  haughty  spirit  falling. 


WHOSE  PROMISES  WILL  YOU  ACCEPT? 
10 


146 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


Turning  to  the  Gentiles.    Acts  xiii,  42-52. 


SOME 

Gathered  to  hear. 
Continued  in  grace  of  God. 
Were  glad  and  glorified  God. 
Tilled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Believe  and  receive 
Eternal  life. 


OTHERS 

Spake  against  these  things. 
Contradicting  and  blaspheming. 
Were  rilled  with  envy. 
Stirred  np  hatred 
Expelled  the  apostles. 
"  Judge  yourselves  unworthy  of 
everlasting   life." 


THE  LORD  IS  MY  LIGHT  AND  MY  SALVATION: 
Whom  shall  I  fear? 


Paul's  Four  Crowns.  2  Tim.  iv,  1-18. 

OF  LIFE.  Rev.  ii,  10. 
OF  RIGHTEOUSNESS.  2  Tim.  iv,  8. 
OF  REJOICING.  1  Thes.  ii,  9. 
OF  GLORY.  1  Pet.  v,  4. 

TWO    CERTAINTIES. 


Sin  when  it  is 
.FINISHED 

Bringeth  forth. 
DEATH. 

(James  i,  15.) 


Be  E»ithful 
XJ  N  T  O     DEATH 

And  I  will  give  thee  a 
CRCTvVN     OE     LIFE. 
(Rev.  ii,  10.) 


DEATH  OR  LIFE-WHICH? 


-♦•♦- 


OVER-CHALKING  EXERCISES. 

Gehazi's  Mistake.   2  Kings  v,  20-27. 

I  SHALL  BE  SATISFIED 

I    A     Im/I    famous, 

h\        fl      POWERFUL, 
j    11  -"-■-    AT  REST, 

11    \   If  L      A  MILLION, 

I  Mil  en 

Cancel  "Am  rich,  famous,  powerful,  at  rest,"  with  "  Awake 
in  his  likeness."     Cancel  the  four  words  after  "Have  "  with 


WHEN  I 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


147 


"Christ."  Then  write  just  beside  u  Satisfied  "  on  the  left, 
"  It,"  and  on  the  right,  "  My  longings  as  nothing  else  could 
do,"  so  that  the  prominent  passages  before  the  eyes  at  the 
close  shall  be,  "  I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  have  Christ,  and 
when  I  awake  in  his  likeness,"  and  also,  "  It  satisfied  my 
longings  as  nothing  else  could  do."  Then,  for  the  benefit  of 
the  young,  add  at  one  side,  "Satisfy  us  early  with  thy 
mercy,  that  we  may  rejoice  and  be  glad  all  our  days." 


The  Shunammite's  Son.  2  Kings  iv,  25-37. 


Place  the  two  names  Gehazi  and  Elisha  in  contrast. 
Write  what  Gehazi  did,  and  show  the  cold,  dead,  formal  serv- 
ice. Then  the  result,  write  over  all  in  bold,  heavy  letters, 
Failure.  Next,  JSlisha,  his  conduct  and  manner,  and  the 
result,  Success.  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 


Gehazi,  the  Leper.  2  Kings  v,  20-27. 

Print  the  word  GOD,  putting  the  letters  a  short  space 
from  each  other.  Between  0  and  D  put  L,  making  "  GOLD," 
which  Gehazi  worshiped  in  place  of  God.     The  root  of  this 


148 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


idolatry  is  greed.  Put  REE  over  OL,  making  GREED. 
The  result  of  GehazPs  sin,  as  of  every  sin,  is  grief.  Put  I 
in  place  of  the  first  E,  making  GRIEF.  Each  point  should, 
of  course,  be  developed  by  questions,  illustrated  also,  and 
then  adapted  to  the  school  or  class.      Rev.  J.  H.  Vincent. 


Naaman,  the  Leper.  2  Kings  v,  1-14. 

MpIiljS 

C°Z^ 

"'  -'   >^":'j*' 

^M2 

Co>YsV.O.O 

pT  V     > 

/Dect 

/ 

^                                          ^ 

15^ 

XJjjiilSf                 <^I 

SII 

mm§mmm 

Djlll^ul 

p^Wrmli|ii 

tarn 

1.  Concerning  Naaman:  show  four  desirable  facts  about 
him.     Then,  covering  all,  write  LEPER. 

2.  Concerning  Leprosy:  show  six  characteristics  of  this 
disease.  Then  over  the  word  Leprosy  write  SIN,  and  show 
some  characteristics  of  that  disease. 

3.  Concerning  the  Cleansing:    Show  what  it  required. 
Then    over  the  word    Cleansing  write  SALVATION,  an 
make  the  application.  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       149 


WORD-SYMBOL  EXEROISE. 

The  Apostle's  Cross, 
infirm- 

ITIES, 
DISTR- 
ESSES, 

PERSECUTIONS, 

REPRO- 
ACHES, 
NECES- 
SITIES, 
F  O   K 

CHRIST'S 
SAKE. 

The  apostle  says :  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  save  in 

the  cross,"  and  also,  "I  glory  in  infirmities,  .  .  .  for  Christ's 

sake." 

The  Easter  Cross. 

HE  IS 
NOT 
HERE.  „ 

EASTER  MORNING. 

HE   IS 

RISEN 
AS  HE 
SAID. 

MY  LORD 
AND  MY  GOD. 

W.  H.  Sutton,  of  Jersey  City,  used  an  acrostic  cross  at  a 
convention  in  that  State.  He  said  :  "I  want  to  give  you  six 
reasons  why  Christ  is  the  BEST  FRIEND." 

He  illustrated  this  in  the  usual  manner  of  blackboard 
representation — 

The  Best 

F 

R 
I 
E 

K 
D 


150       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

He  told  appropriate  stories  to  fill  out  these  different  capital 
letters.  The  first,  expressing  the  conclusion  that  he  was  a 
faithful  friend ;  the  second,  that  he  was  our  Rescuer,  our 
Redeemer  ;  the  third,  our  Intercessor  ;  the  fourth,  our  ever- 
lasting friend  ,  the  fifth,  he  is  always  near  us  ;  the  sixth,  he 
died  for  us. 

"Now,  scholars,  you  can  carry  these  conclusions  in  your 
mind.  If  I  had  not  a  blackboard  I  would  take  some  other 
method :  I  might  take  my  fingers,  so  that  the  illustration 
would  come  with  a  word  on  each  finger.  Dividing  the  sub- 
ject in  this  way  will  help  our  scholars  to  carry  home  with  them 
the  thought  that  HP]  IS  OUR  BEST  FRIEND." 

The  Life  of  Christ. 

■  &• 

JSLORY 

DYING. 

SUFFERING. 
CLAIMING  TO  BE  DIVINE. 
SAVING   A    PUBLICAN. 

TEACHING. 

WORKING. 

CLEANSING. 

CONQUERING. 

APPROVED. 

QUESTIONED. 

WELCOMED.    Rev.  S.  M'Gerald. 

This  cross  was  used  for  a  review  of  the  life  of  Christ,  hut 
may  also  be  used  to  illustrate  the  thought  that  not  that  dark 
Friday  alone,  but  the  whole  I'fe  of  Christ,  was  a  crucifixion. 
At  Bethlehem  he  nailed  himself  to  the  cross  of  a  human  life. 
Every  tear  shed  over  Jerusalem  and  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus 
was  a  drop  of  blood  from  one  who  was  being  crucified ;  every 
sigh  and  groan  came  from  a  heart  pierced  with  a  terrible 
spear. 

The  two  expressions,  "  Christ's  sufferings  "  and  u  Our  salva- 
tion," may  be  made  into  a  cross,  the  "S"  being  at  the  center. 


THHOUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


151 


Use  the   following  with   Paul's   Shipwreck,   Acts    xxvii, 
33-44. 


we'  O 


ONYfiMSiN 


AN   ^ 


HIM 

PURIFIETH"^  HIMSELF 


Illustrations  from  incidents  of  sea-life  will  be  appropriate, 
and  songs  about  sailing  on  the  sea  of  life — "  Clinging  to  the 
Rock,"  "Land  Ahead,"  "Homeward  Bound,"  etc.  In  the 
midst  of  a  storm  at  sea,  when  the  vessel  was  expected  to  go 


152 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


down  in  a  few  moments,  a  sailor  came  up  to  a  man  who 
seemed  very  calm,  and  said,  "Are  you  not  afraid?  the  anchor 
has  given  way."  "  But,"  said  the  other,  "  I  have  an  anchor 
to  the  soul,  sure  and  steadfast." 

The  four  word-symbol  exercises  following — The  Christian 
Heart,  The  Shield  of  Faith,  The  Prize  of  Our  High  Calling, 
and  The  Key  of  Promise — are  all  by  Rev.  R.  L.  Bruce,  of 
Stoneham,  Mass.  They  are  so  clear  in  their  meaning  that 
they  hardly  need  any  explanation,  but  will  repay  a  careful 
study  with  many  fruitful  suggestions. 

"Love  is  the  Fulfilling  of  the  Law."    Rem.  xiii,  8-14 


-rHoUSH/VLILOVEtrtEWKU  HTGob, 

>TTTTTTT  TTT  TTTINE  HEAR\ 

VSOUL 

STRENGTH 

iiiiuiimiilLLllilMiND 

hUD  THQU  SHALT 
UNtTHY  ^EIGtjBOR 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       153 


The  Shield  of  Faith. 


[See  2  Tim.  iv,  1.] 


154 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


"  Let  no  Man  take  thy  Crown." 


muJM 

TO  RIGHTEOUS 
AESS SHALL 
MINI  AS  AW^ 

ySTffRS  FOR  EVER 

AND 
Wf  ■ 

see: 

THAT 
"*    NO 
■\VSf  MAN  THOU 

sHML.r      Tfl     bEfMlt 


iWK  10R\)  I 

^CEFORTH  THERE  IStf/DUp  £J 
M  W.Xl  FAITH  FUL UNTO  Df  "**&$ 

:eacr( 

■    I 

Reprize  of  our  high  callirf 


[See  2  Tim.  iv,  8.] 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


155 


The  Ret  of  Promise. 


[See  Acts  xxvi,  21-29.] 


156 


Through  the  eye  to  the  heakt. 


OUTLINE  EXERCISES. 

Jesus,  King  of  Kings.* 

Q     ^    ^ 


Where  will  Jesus  be  King  forever  ?  In  heaven.  Yes,  and 
on  earth,  too.  Let  the  teacher  show  pictures  of  the  tive 
races  of  men,  and  name  each  one ;  tell  that  each  will  call 
Jesus  King.     Develop  the  above  characteristics  of  the  King. 


Love  Fulfills  the  Law. 


lo 


VE 


How  many  Commandments  did  God  give  to  the  Israelites 
by  Moses?  Into  what  one  word  did  Jesus  put  .them  all? 
(Let  the  teacher  curve  the  two  outside  lines  and  make  a  heart.) 

God  wrote  Ten  Commandments  on  stone  tables;  but  where 
does  he  write  this  commandment  to  love?  On  the  fleshy 
tablets  of  the  heart. 

Let  each  child  be  given  a  piece  of  paper  with  the  word 
Law  written  in  large  letters  on  the  one  side,  and  on  the 
other  side         Obey  your  parents. 

Obey  the  laws  of  your  country. 
Obey  God's  voice. 


The   Widow's  Oil  Increased.  2  Kings  iv,  1-15. 
Point.  Only  through  grace  given  us  by  God  can  we  live 
righteously. 
*  The  exercises  on  this  and  four  following  pages  are  by  Mrs.  W.  F.  Crafts. 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       157 

Synthetic  Steps  Developing  the  Point. 

1.  By  Elisha's  help  the  widow  satisfied  her  creditor. 

2.  Through  the  gift  of  the  Spirit  we  are  enabled  to  please 
God. 

Method  in  Detail. 

First  Step.  What  name  do  we  give  to  a  woman  whose  hus- 
band has  died  ?  The  Bible  tells  us  of  a  widow  who  owed 
some  money  to  a  man.  She  was  poor.  Could  she  pay  the 
debt  ?  Because  she  had  no  money  to  give  the  man  he  said,  "  I 
will  take  your  two  sons  and  they  shall  be  my  slaves."  That 
poor  widow  went  to  Elisha,  a  man  whom  God  had  made  very 
wise,  and  she  told  him  all  her  trouble.  I  will  read  to  you 
from  the  Bible  what  Elisha  and  the  widow  said  to  each  other. 
(2  Kings  iv,  2.)  What  one  thing  had  she  that  she  might  sell 
and  get  money?  Could  she  have  gotten  enough  money  in 
that  way  to  pay  her  debt  ?  No,  rna'am.  God  helped  Elisha 
to  make  a  way  for  the  widow  to  pay  her  debt !  You  may  all 
think  a  moment  how  it  was  done,  but  I  shall  not  ask  you  to 
tell  me.  Now  I  will  tell  you.  Elisha  told  the  widow  to  go 
to  her  neighbors  and  borrow  many  empty  cups  and  jugs,  to 
set  them  in  her  house,  to  take  her  little  pot  of  oil,  and  to  pour 
the  oil  from  it  into  the  many  jars.  (Let  the  teacher  take  in 
her  hand  a  small  vessel  of  water  and  place  several  empty  jars 
in  sight,  saying,  We  will  try  to  do  as  the  poor  widow  did, 
that  is,  to  fill  these  many  empty  jars  with  what  is  in  the  little 
cup ;  but  I  will  use  water  instead  of  oil.  Teacher  pours  the 
contents  of  the  cup  into  one  jar  which  is  not  then  filled. 
Children  led  to  observe  this.  How  could  doing  so  help  the 
poor  widow  ?  (Children  speculate.)  Would  it  not  be  very 
strange  if,  as  fast  as  I  should  pour  water  out  of  this  cup  more 
should  come  in,  itself,  until  there  would  be  enough  to  fill  all 
of  these  empty  jars  ? 

The  widow  did  as  Elisha  had  told  her,  and  began  to  pour 
the  oil  from  the  little  pot,  and  the  oil  kept  coming  and  coming 


158       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

until  the  jars  were  full !  How  would  this  oil  help  the  widow 
to  pay  her  debt?  She  could  sell  it.  Who  of  you  would  like 
to  hear  me  read  the  story  of  the  widow  from  the  Bible? 
(This  is  desirable  if  there  is  time.  Put  the  objects  out  of 
sight.) 

Second  Step.  What  does  God  do  for  you  ?  "  He  gives  us 
breath  all  the  time,  fruit  to  eat,  bright  flowers  to  see.  He 
makes  things  grow  so  that  we  may  have  things  to  eat  and 
clothes  to  wear."  I  think  of  something  greater  than  these. 
He  has  given  his  dear  Son  to  die  for  us,  so  that  we  can  go  to 
heaven.  We  all  owe  God  a  great  debt  of  love.  God  does 
not  ask  us  to  pay  him,  but  what  kind  of  acts  does  he  want  us 
to  give  him  ?  Loving  right  acts.  Listen,  each  child,  if  what 
I  tell  you  is  true.  Some  time  you  have  promised  yourself 
and  mamma  that  all  through  the  day  you  would  not  do  a 
naughty  act.  For  an  hour  or  so  you  did  very  nicely,  then  you 
seemed  to  lose  your  good  spirit  and  did  wrong.  All  who 
thiuk  this  is  true  may  raise  their  hands.  I  think  you  are 
somewhat  like  the  widow.  She  did  not  have  oil  enough  of 
her  own  to  fill  the  jugs,  and  you  have  not  enough  good  spirit 
to  fill  all  the  days  with  loving  right  acts  for  God.  Let  the 
teacher  now  draw  on  the  blackboard  seven  little  jugs  and  say, 
Here  is  a  little  jug  for  each  day  in  the  week ;  let  us  place  the 
letters  for  each  day  under  them.     (See  chart.)     Now  I  will 

draw  a  picture  of  the  heart 
from  which  we  are  to  fill  each 
day,  (pointing  to  jugs,)  full 
of  loving  right  acts  for  God. 
(See  chart.)  Could  the  wid- 
S  M  T  W  T  F  S  ow  fill  all  of  the  empty  jugs 
with  only  the  oil  she  had  put  into  her  little  pot  ?  Neither  can 
we,  dear  ones,  fill  all  our  days  with  the  little  good  spirit  we  may 
put  into  our  hearts.  But  if  we  pray  to  God  he  will  give  us 
more  and  more  of  the  Holy  Spirit  until  we  shall  be  able  to  fill 
all  our  days  with  loving  right  acts.  I  will  read  you  what  God 
has  promised  about  this.     (Teacher,  read  Matt,  v,    6,  from 


\F 


OQOOOdi 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       159 

the  Bible ;  print  same  on  blackboard.     Children,  read  it  in 
concert.) 

Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness,  for  they  shall  be  filled. 

The  Waters  Healed.  2  Kings  ii,  19-25. 

Golden  Text:  John  iii,  16. 

Point  To  teach  that  although  Jesus  came  to  give  life  to 
all,  he  may  be  made  the  "  savor  of  death  unto  death." 

Synthetic  Steps  Developing  the  Point. 

1.  According  to  our  own  acts  a  blessing  will  yield  either 
joy  or  pain. 

2.  Elisha  was  the  cause  of  life  to  some  but  death  to  others. 

3.  Unbelief  in  Jesus,  who  came  to  give  life,  will  yield  death. 

Method  in  Detail. 

First  Step.  (Let  the  teacher  show  some  object  intended  to 
bring  comfort  or  pleasure  which  through  abuse  was  made  to 
yield  pain  :  For  instance) :  Here  is  a  little  saw  ;  it  belongs  t  > 
a  set  of  tools  which  I  gave  to  a  dear  little  boy,  thinking  he 
would  be  made  very  happy,  but  in  a  short  time  he  had  cut  his 
finger  with  the  saw,  which  caused  him  pain.  Did  the  saw- 
make  the  boy  sad  or  glad  ?  Was  it  the  fault  of  the  saw  that 
it  did  not  make  him  happy  ?  What  was  the  trouble  ?  He  did 
not  use  the  saw  right.  Can  you  remember  something  given  to 
you  to  bring  you  pleasure  which  only  gave  you  trouble,  be- 
cause you  did  not  use  it  right  ?  (Permit  a  few  replies.  Print 
on  the  blackboard  the  first  two  sentences  of  the  chart,  and  ask 
the  children  to  read  them.) 

Second  Step.  You  learned  last  Sunday  about  two  men. 
Who  can  tell  their  names?  Which  was  the  wiser?  How 
much  wiser?  In  the  country  where  Elisha  lived  the  water 
in  the  streams  had  nearly  dried  up,  and  what  was  left  became 
very  bad,  so  that  the  plants  would  not  grow.  As  nothing 
would  grow,  what  would  happen  to  the  people?     Some  of 


160       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

the  men  in  that  country  knew  that  Elisha  had  been  made 
wise  like  Elijah,  so  they  thought  they  would  ask  him  to  heal 
the  water.  Elisha  told  them  to  bring  a  new  jug  with  salt  in 
it ;  then  he  went  to  where  the  waters  began  and  threw  in  the 
salt,  asking  God  to  help  him  heal  the  waters,  and  so  God  did. 
After  that  the  plants  grew,  and  the  land  was  beautiful  and 
green.  Would  the  people  die  now  ?  Who  was  the  cause  of 
giving  them  life?  Elisha.  Why?  Because  he  healed  the 
waters. 

Just  after  Elisha  had  healed  the  waters  he  was  passing 
along  the  road,  when  many  persons  came  out  and  said  very 
ugly  words  to  him.  He  asked  God  to  punish  them,  and  out  of 
the  woods  near  by  God  sent  two  bears.  What  do  you  think  the 
bears  would  do  ?  Kill  them.  Yes,  they  tore  in  pieces  forty- 
two  of  those  bad  people.  Who  was  the  cause  of  their  death  ? 
Elisha.  Had  he  given  death  when  he  had  healed  the  waters  ? 
No,  life.  All  say  after  me,  Elisha  gave  life  to  some,  but  death 
to  others.  Whose  fa*ult  was  it  that  he  gave  death  to  some? 
It  was  the  fault  of  the  wicked  people  themselves.  When  I 
think  of  Elisha  giving  both  life  and  death,  I  think,  too,  of  this 
little  saw  which  will  either  give  joy  or  pain  according  to 
the  way  it  is  used.  To  whom  does  the  saw  give  pain  ?  To 
whom  did  Elisha  give  death  ? 

TJiird  Step.  God  sent  his  own  dear  Son  into  this  world  to 
die,  that  by  his  dying  we  might  have  a  home  in  heaven. 
Some  people  do  not  care  about  this ;  others  say,  "  Jesus  is  our 
best  friend."  God  has  said  those  who  do  not  love  Jesus  shall 
have  sorrow  and  pain  forever.  To  whom  does  Jesus  give 
joy?  What  two  things  will  this  little  saw  give?  (showing 
it.)  Will  it  give  joy  or  pain  to  you  ?  Joy,  if  we  use  it  right ; 
pain,  if  we  use  it  wrong.  What  two  things  did  Elisha  give  ? 
Life  and  death.     Whose  fault  was  it  that  he  gave  death  ? 

Little  ones,  Jesus  came  into  this  world  to  give  us  all  heav- 
enly joy;  but  because  some  people  will  not  believe  what  he 
promises  he  gives  them  everlasting  sorrow  and  pain.  If  you 
would  get  sweet  joy  from  Jesus  instead  of  pain,  what  must 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       161 

you  do?  Remember,  my  dear  little  children,  that  it  rests 
with  you  whether  Jesus  will  be  life  or  death  to  you.  He 
wishes  to  be  life  ;  but  you  must  choose.  (Teacher,  here  read 
the  Golden  Text  from  the  Bible,  print  it  upon  the  blackboard, 
and  require  all  the  children  to  read  it  together.) 

The  Heart  Vineyard.* 

Draw  heart,  surrounded  by  hedge.  Inside  heart,  a  vine,  etc. 
Ask  what  a  vineyard  is;  what  the  vineyard  is  we  each  are  to 
cultivate  for  God.  Answer  being  given,  write  Vin.  of  Ht. 
Draw  out  of  scholars  what  the  Vine  in  our  heart  is ;  then 
what  the  fruits  are.  Ask  what  a  hedge  is.  Used  to  keep  out 
wild  beasts ;  God  surrounds  our  heart  with  hedge  of  Bible 
truth  to  preserve  the  vineyard  from  the  devil,  who  goes  about 
like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking,  etc.  Show  that  we  must  open  the 
hedge  ourselves  before  he  can  get  in.  Then  wipe  off  lower 
end  of  heart  to  illustrate  our  giving  admittance  to  the  Adver- 
sary. Let  the  blackboard  eraser  represent  the  devil,  who 
enters  through  the  opening,  erases  the  vine  and  fruits,  and 
fills  the  heart  with  SIN,  which  write  in  large  letters.  Ask 
which  the  scholars  wish  to  have  in  their  hearts,  the  Vine  or 
the  Devil  ?     See  Isa.  v,  4. — Rev.  J,  M.  Durrell. 

A  similar  use  of  the  outline  heart  was  made  in  an  address 
of  Rev.  A.  H.  Brown  in  New  Jersey.  He  began  by  drawing 
a  semi-heart-shaped  line  on  the  blackboard,  and  then  said : 
By  means  of  that  chalk-mark  I  lay  hold  of  the  faculties  of 
your  minds.  Adults  though  you  may  be,  I  have  gained  your 
attention,  and  you  are  penciling  the  thought  upon  the  retina 
of  the  eye,  which  is  soon  to  be  transferred  to  the  mind's 
retina.  I  have  excited  your  curiosity.  But  what  have  we 
here  ?  Mr.  Chairman,  if  you  will  permit  me  I  will  take  a 
little  liberty  this  afternoon,  I  will  imagine  this  audience  is 
an  audience  of  children.  If  I  were  at  home  I  would  ask  my 
scholars  or  class  some  questions,  but  I  will  forego  these  ques- 

*  May  be  used  with  1  Kings  xxi,  4-14 
11 


162       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

tions  to-day.  We  have  here  the  outline  of  a  heart  marked 
on  the  blackboard — a  mighty  force-pump  within  us  which  is 
sending  the  bright-red  current  through  our  whole  system 
even  to  the  extremities :  the  hand,  the  face,  are  made  beau- 
tifully red  by  this  blood,  even  the  hair  is  vivified  by  it. 
When  I  was  a  child  I  saw  a  little  boy  playing  with  his  sister. 
They  did  not  agree  very  well,  and  the  little  boy  took  a  flat- 
iron  and  threw  it  at  her.  It  laid  her  in  death.  What  was  it 
that  caused  that  boy  to  throw  the  flat-iron  ?  Was  it  the  blood 
in  the  hand?  Little  Charlie  was  out  playing.  His  poor,  sick 
mother  wanted  him  to  come  in.  She  called  him,  "  Charlie, 
come  in."  "  I  won't."  The  mother,  enfeebled  by  disease, 
shut  the  window  and  retired.  After  awhile,  Charlie,  tired 
with  his  playing,  came  in.  He  retired  for  the  night.  During 
the  night  his  heart  pained  him.  He  thought  of  the  word  he 
told  his  mother,  and  said,  "  I  will  ask  her  to  forgive  me."  In 
the  morning  he  ran  to  the  door  of  her  chamber  and  knocked, 
but  there  was  no  answer.  He  went  up  to  the  bed  and  cried, 
"Mother!  mother!"  No  answer.  "Mother!  mother!  mother!" 
No  answer.  The  white  hand  lay  on  the  coverlet,  and  he  took 
hold  of  it  to  waken  his  mother,  but  she  was  dead.  His  heart 
was  wrung  with  agony  as  he  cried,  aO  mother!  mother!  I 
am  sorry  that  I  said,  'I  won't.'"  What  was  it  that  made 
little  Charlie  tell  his  mother,  "I  won't?"  Wad  it  the  blood 
in  the  lips  ?  No,  it  was  sin,  sin  in  the  heart.  This  "  sin  "  I 
write  with  the  charcoal.  Why?  Because  it  soils.  Sin 
soils.  You  can  never  play  with  sin,  children,  without  pol- 
luting yourselves.  Remember  that  sin  pollutes  even  if  you 
touch  it.  Now,  we  have  sin  in  the  heart.  We  don't  want 
it  there,  and  how  shall  we  get  it  out?  You  cannot  rub  it 
out.  By  attempting  to  do  so  you  only  make  the  matter 
worse.  I  turn  to  God's  word — to  the  first  Epistle  of  St. 
John — and  I  read,  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  from 
all  sin."  Let  us  write  that  there.  I  take  a  piece  of  red 
chalk,  and  write  over  the  letters  in  the  heart,  "The  Blood 
of  Jesus."     I  cover  the  word  sin  all  up,  and  it  takes  it  all 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       163 

away.  It  washes  it  all  out.  Nothing  else  can  do  it.  "There 
is  no  other  name  under  heaven  given  to  men  whereby  they 
may  be  saved."  Now,  children,  if  you  want  to  do  right  and 
not  to  do  wrong,  you  have  only  to  get  Jesus  in  your  heart 
first. 

No  Room  for  Christ.  (Eccles.  xii.) 
Another  heart  outline  may  be  made  as  follows :  Draw  a 
house,  seemingly  dilapidated  and  old.  Above  the  house  a 
few  stars  and  the  moon  with  many  clouds.  Then  bring  out 
the  meaning  of  Solomon's  allegory  of  the  old  man  as  a  house 
and  its  surroundings : 


11  The  keepers  " — Hands. 

"The  strong  men" — Legs. 

"Grinders"— Teeth. 

11  Windows  " — Eyes. 

"Music  " — Voice. 

"  Almond  tree  " — White  hair. 

"Desire  " — Appetites. 


"  Silver  cord  " — Nervous  mat- 
ter in  the  spine. 
"Golden  bowl  "—Skull. 
"Pitcher  and  wheel  " — Lungs. 
"Fountain  and  )fl 

Cistern "—      ) 
"Long  home" — Grave. 


Around  the  house  make  the  outline  of  a  heart.  To  this 
house  that  God  built  for  his  own  dwelling  Jesus  comes  and 
knocks.  Our  hearts  should  be  like  the  cottage  at  Bethany, 
always  open  to  the  Saviour.  He  comes  and  knocks.  Shall  we, 
like  many,  open  to  him  and  "  sit  at  his  feet,"  or,  like  the 
Church  of  Laodicea,  let  Jesus  stand  without  and  knock  ? 
Print  "No  Room  for  Jesus"  across  the  picture,  and  after 
showing  the  ingratitude  of  such  a  course,  erase  "  No  "  and 
leave  it  "Room  for  Jesus."  Write  also  the  motto  within  the 
heart  outline:  "Thy  word  have  I  hid  in  my  heart,  that  I 
might  not  sin  against  thee." 

The  Heart  Made  Right. 
We  have   compiled  the  following  from  an  exercise  of  Dr. 
Vincent's  and  one  by  C.  B.  Stout : 


HoiLESS. 


164  TflHOtJGtt  THE  EYE  TO  THE  fiEAfcT. 

Jesus  meets  a  leper :  "  helpless,"  because  his  disease  is  be- 
yond medicine ;  "  hopeless,"  because  there  is  little  chance  of 
recovery;  "homeless,"  because  even  in  sickness  he  is  banished 
from  his  home,  and  none  of  his  dear  ones  can  administer  to 
him.  See,  for  further  particulars,  Bible  Dictionary.  Let  a 
heavy  straight  line  represent  a  leper.  Jesus  comes  across 
him:  intersect  the  first  line  so  as  to  form  a  large  white  cross. 
Rub  out  "Less."  Jesus'  coming  brings  "Help,  hope,  home." 
The  cross  brings  the  same  to  us.  Talk  about  the  ancient 
shame  of  the  cross,  and  how  it  became  glorious.  Then  ascer- 
tain by  questions  that  it  is  the  symbol  of  Faith,  and  print  an 
"F"  on  the  board;  then  put  a  semicircle  at  the  bottom,  to 
make  it  into  an  anchor,  and  ask  the  children  what  is  thrown 
out  in  times  of  danger  to  hold  the  vessel ;  ascertain  that  the 
anchor  is  the  symbol  of  Hope,  and  print  an  "H"  below  the 
F ;  then  from  the  top  of  the  cross  carry  lines  in  both  direc- 
tions to  the  hooks  of  the  anchor,  making  a  heart  which  in- 
cludes an  anchor  and  a  cross.  The  heart  is  the  symbol  of 
Love.  Write  "L;"  then  show  that  Love  means  Charity,  and 
you  have  "  F,  H,  L  "—Faith,  Hope  and  Charity,  and  as  the 
heart  is  greater  than  the  cross  or  anchor,  so  the  greatest  of 
these  three  qualities  of  heart  is  Charity,  which  includes  both 
the  others:  "It  hopeth  all  things,  believeth  all  things."  In- 
stead of  a  heart  "Helpless,  homeless,  hopeless,"  and  cursed 
jrith  the  leprosy  of  sin,  we  have  now  a  heart  with  Faith,  Hope, 
and  Love  filling  it,     Illustrate  each  step  in  the  exercise.* 

The  Scroll  of  Wisdom. 

The  following  is  another  specimen.  Make  an  opened 
scroll  held  by  two  hands.  Across  the  right  hand  print 
"Length  of  Days;"  across  the  left,  "Wisdom  and  Honor." 
On  the  middle  of  the  scroll,  "Happy  is  the  man  that  find- 
eth  Wisdom." 

*  Almost  every  religious  subject  has  some  excellent  illustrations  in  "  Fos- 
ter's Cyclopedia  of  Illustrations." 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       165 

The  Gospel  Ship. 
Draw  an  outline  of  a  ship.  Mark  its  sails  "  Faith,"  its 
lower  edge  "  Works,  ballast,"  its  working  rigging  "  Prayer," 
its  prow  "  Perseverance,"  which  is  cutting  through  waves 
marked  "World,"  "Flesh,"  "Devil ;"  the  rudder  is  marked 
"  Love  of  Christ,"  and  the  bands  that  unite  it  to  the  ship, 
"  Nothing  shall  separate  us."  The  flag  at  the  stern  is  a  red 
cross  on  a  white  field,  the  halyards  marked, "  I  am  not  ashamed 
of  the  Gospel  of  Christ."  At  the  masthead  is  a  signal  flag 
(suggested  by  Nelson's)  with  the  inscription,  "  God  expects 
every  man  to  do  his  duty."  On  the  stern  of  the  vessel  are 
the  name  and  place  of  building  :  "  Gospel  Ship — Heaven." 
The  anchor  is  formed  of  a  text  thus  divided  :  Cross  bar,  "  If 
any  man  sin — ; "  upright,  "  We  have  an  Advocate  with —  ;  " 
claws,  "  The  Father."  This  exercise  is  taken  mostly  from  a 
sermon  of  Rev.  T.  De  Witt  Talmage.     Acts  xxvii,  14-26. 

The  Promises — Our  Mountain  Tops. 
Taking  Bible  geographies  or  Bible  dictionaries  to  get  the 
general  outline  and  shape  of  the  following  mountains,  draw 
them  and  connect  them  together,  as  if  a  group,  with  the  in- 
scriptions indicated  written  upon  them.  Sinai — "  Draw  nigh 
unto  God,  and  he  will  draw  nigh  unto  you."  (Incident  of 
Moses.)  Moriah — "God  will  provide."  (Isaac.)  Horeb — 
"  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on 
thee."  (The  "  still,  small  voice.")  Carmel — "  Whatsoever  ye 
shall  ask  in  my  name  I  will  do  it."  (The  little  cloud.)  Zion—- 
"They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  Mount  Zion  that  can- 
not be  removed,  but  abideth  forever."  JSTebo — "  There  remain- 
eth  therefore  a  rest  to  the  people  of  God."  (Moses'  view  of 
Canaan.)  Olivet — "  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  nowise 
cast  out."  (The  woman  that  was  a  sinner  and  had  "  much 
forgiven"  at  Bethany.)  So  these  promises  lift  us  above  the 
dead  level  of  earth  "  quite  to  the  verge  of  heaven," 


166       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  Straight  Road  and  its  Monuments. 

Draw  a  straight  line  on  the  board  to  represent  an  ideal  life  • 
journey.  Speak  of  the  actual  life  of  most  men  as  crooked, 
which  might  be  represented  by  a  crooked  line,  drawn  to  con- 
trast with  the  straight  one.  The  straight  one  is  to  represent 
the  length  of  a  life  of  threescore  and  ten  years.  Draw  at  the 
proper  distance  for  ten  years  of  age  the  representation  of  the 
marble  milestone :  marble,  because  of  childhood  purity,  for  this 
is  the  age  when  responsibility  begins.  Under  it  the  Bible,  as  a 
guide  in  the  straight  road,  to  be  taken  up  by  the  pilgrim-child 
as  it  passes  this  boundary.  At  the  proper  distance  for  twenty- 
five  years  of  age  represent  the  silver  milestone :  a  clear,  ring- 
ing life  at  this  age,  as  solid  and  shining  in  virtue  as  silver. 
Beneath  it  represent  a  sword — the  sword  of  the  Spirit — which 
now  must  be  wielded.  At  the  proper  distance  on  the  line  for 
sixty  years  of  age,  draw  with  yellow  chalk  the  golden  mile- 
stone ;  under  it  a  pen :  golden  because  it  is  the  harvest  time. 
A  pen  there  for  writing  the  record  of  his  life  upon  a  scroll, 
which  can  be  figured  at  the  end  of  the  line,  to  indicate  that 
the  life  is  finished  and  its  record  of  good  deeds  left  for  others 
to  read  as  they  journey.  Better  than  a  gravestone. —  W.  JS. 
Huntington. 

The  Two  Paths. 

The  figure  of  life  as  a  journey,  just  used,  is  one  of  the  most 
frequent  figures  of  the  Bible.  In  many  places  it  represents  a 
right  course  of  life  in  contrast  with  a  wrong  one,  under  the 
simile  of  two  "  ways,"  two  "  paths,"  etc. 

Draw  the  simple  outline  of  two  roads  branching  out  from 
a  common  corner,  to  the  right  and  left.  A  little  way  below 
the  left-hand  path,  at  short  intervals,  put  up  the  warnings 
found  in  Proverbs:  " Avoid  it;"  "Pass  not  by  it;"  "Turn 
from  it ;  "  "  Pass  away."  Just  at  the  entrance  put  the  other 
warning, "  Enter  not."  Along  the  left-hand  road  write,  "The 
way  of  the  wicked  is  as  DARKNESS,"  (the  word  "dark- 
ness" at  the  end  of  the  path.)    By  the  side  of  the  way  put  the 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       167 

warning,  "  Go  not,"  and  also  the  words,  "  The  end  thereof," 
with  a  hand  pointing  to  the  end  where  are  the  words, 
"  DeSth."8"* "  On  one  s^e  °f  tne  way  write,  "  Bread  of  wick- 
edness," "Wine  of  violence."  Near  the  entrance  of  the  right- 
hand  way  write,  { "  JB£ii£? Vw»  Through  the  midst  of  the 
way  write,  u  The  way  of  the  just  is  as  the  SHINING 
LIGHT,"  ("light"  being  near  the  end  of  the  way.)  Beyond 
it  write,  "  PERFECT  DAY."  By  the  side  of  this  path  write, 
"Still  waters"  "  Green  pastures,"  indicated  by  a  few  simple 
lines  and  appropriate  colors.  Make  a  winding  line  leading 
across  the  way,  and  mark  it  "Jabbok,"  as  the  wrestling- place  of 
prayer.  Make  also  a  lane  across  to  "  The  Way  of  the  Wicked," 
by  which  any  can  cross  who  will.  On  the  other  side  make 
a  lane  leading  into  "By-path  Meadow"  and  "Doubting 
Castle,"  (simply  outlined.)  Other  parts  of  the  Bible  and 
Pilgrim's  Progress  may  also  be  used  with  this  outline.  At 
the  corner  print  "  CHOOSE  YE."    Below  the  outline  write— 


WALK     m  TT  T71      WAT. 
OBEY        \      H     h,     TRUTH 
LIVE        JL   JL1  JLU      LIFE. 


Along  the  left-hand  path,  to  represent  the  gradual  increase  of 
sinful  habits,  use  the  thoughts  of  the  First  Psalm :  "  Walketh 
with  unrighteous;"  "Standeth  with  sinners;"  "Sitteth  with 


scorners." 


The  Love  op  Money. 


Tell  the  story  of  Gehazi's  sin.  Have  the  text  repeated, 
"The  love  of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evil" 

Not  money  itself— we  must  have  that  and  serve  God  with 
it.  Earn  it ;  get  it  honestly ;  all  you  can,  and  use  it  for  God. 
Little  children  can  do  that.  The  love  of  it,  coveting  it,  is  the 
evil  root  which  produces  only  thorns.  Did  you  ever  see  a 
thorn-tree — every  branch  with  great  needle-points  sticking 
out  in  &11  directions?  (If  you  can,  show  a  large  thorn  or 
branch  of  a  thorn-tree.)  Draw  on  the  board  a  ragged  root, 
as  if  growing  deep  in  the  soil,  write  on  its  several  parts, 


168        THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

"Love  of  money,"  "  Root  of  evil."  Above  ground,  make  the 
branches  sharp  with  thorns,  writing  on  each  branch  as  you 
question  class,  names  of  Gehazi's  sins:  "Coveting,"  "Lying," 
"Stealing,"  "Idolatry,"  "Profanity."  (With  colored  crayon 
you  can  make  a  picture  which,  with  forcible  words,  will  make 
an  enduring  impression.)  The  verse  says  of  money,  "Some 
have  coveted  after  and  pierced  themselves  through  with  many 
sorrows."  Did  you  ever  get  a  splinter  or  thorn  in  your  flesh  ? 
Suppose  you  did  not  tell  mother  lest  she  hurt  you  in  taking 
it  out,  how  it  would  fester  and  throb  with  pain !  So  the 
wounds  of  thorns  from  the  evil  tree  of  this  wicked  root.  A 
Jewish  soldier,  Achan,  once  saw  and  coveted  and  stole  a  royal 
garment,  some  silver,  and  a  wedge  of  gold.  He  buried  them 
under  his  tent,  but  God  brought  it  all  out,  and  said  that  his 
tent  and  all  that  he  had  must  be  burned  with  fire,  and  he  be 
stoned  to  death.  A  man  and  his  wife  once  kept  back  part 
of  the  money  they  had  promised  to  God.  How  their  hearts 
were  pierced  by  his  hand,  for  at  the  very  door  where  they 
lied  to  him  they  both  fell  dead ! 

Who  betrayed  Jesus  Christ?  For  how  much?  How  ought 
we  to  hate  a  sin  that  sold  the  dear  Saviour.  Are  children  ever 
tempted  to  covet,  lie,  or  steal  ?  Is  it  wrong  to  wish  for  a 
marble,  a  knife,  a  doll's  dress  or  hat,  hide  it  away  and  then 
keep  it  for  our  own  ?  (Get  remarks  from  the  children  upon 
such  temptations.)  Is  it  right  to  take  a  penny  from  papa's 
pocket,  or  a  nickel  from  mamma's  drawer?  Are  little  sins  as 
black  in  God's  sight  as  big  ones  ?  Do  people  begin  to  sin  by 
doing  some  terrible  wrong  ?  How  do  they  learn?  Years  ago, 
in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  a  man  was  hung  for  highway  rob- 
bery and  murder.  Before  he  was  taken  out  of  the  jail  a 
minister  said,  "  How  did  you  ever  come  to  do  such  awful 
things?"  "O,"  he  said,  "it  was  just  as  easy.  I  know  the 
very  hour  I  began.  When  I  was  a  little  boy  a  peddler  came 
to  our  house  and  I  stole  a  paper  of  pins,  and  my  mother  hid 
them  for  me;  I  went  on  stealing,  and  here  I  am."  Show  in 
Conclusion  how  we  may  be  kept  from  sin. — Faith  Latimer, 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       169 

Elijah  Fed  by  Ravens.* 

A  tree  is  rudely  drawn,  a  line  or  two  is  made  for  ground,  a 
perpendicular  line  beneath  the  tree  represents  the  prophet, 
and  four  or  five  double  curves  represent  the  coming  ravens  in 
the  familiar  way  in  which  children  represent  flying  birds. 
These  parts  will  be  added,  one  after  another,  as  they  are  de- 
scribed. This  motto  may  be  written  above  them,  GOD  SUP- 
PLIES OUR  DAILY  WANTS,  and  below 

ELIJAH  B  GOD, 

I    MUST    DO    bO. 

The  Poor  Widow. 
The  story  of  the  widow's  poverty,  and  also  of  her  bereave- 
ment, are  represented  by  the  rude  outline  of  a  gate  in  a  wall 
of  square  stones,  with  the  simple  outline  of  a  cottage  just 
inside,  and  two  perpendicular  lines  to  represent  the  widow 
gathering  sticks  when  she  met  the  prophet.  As  the  story  is 
told  the  outline  is  made  step  by  step,  and  on  the  board  are 
the  words, 

f^\  {~\~T\    Cares    for  the    Poor. 
\JT\JA-J    Helps    in    Sorrow. 

The  Answer  by  Fire. 
For  the  "  answer  by  fire "   on   Carmel  the  outline  of  a 
mountain  is  drawn,  with  two  altars,  a  fire  blazing  on  one  only. 
At  its  sides  the  trenches  are  represented  by  simple  curves, 
and  the  prophet  by  a  perpendicular  line 

The  Answer  to  Prates 
is  represented  by  the  sketch  of  a  mountain  top  and  a  little 
cloud  out  over  a  simple  representation  of  the  sea,  a  perpen- 
dicular line  representing  the  servant  as  he  looks  toward  it, 

*  This  page  from  Mrs.  &  W.  Clark, 


170       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  Devil's  Chain.  1  Kings  xvi,  23-34. 
Draw  a  chain  with  four  large  links,  and  in  them  write  the 
four  words,  "Omri,  Ahab,  Jezebel,  Baal."  Below  the  chain 
write,  "  To  bind  Israel  in  sin."  The  chain  should  first  be 
drawn,  and  these  names  of  evil  power  developed  by  questions 
and  written  down.  Show  the  injury  to  national  life  that 
comes  from  having  godless  rulers,  as  illustrated  by  France 
in  the  "  Iieign  of  Terror,"  when  it  was  ruled  by  infidels  who 
abolished  the  Sabbath  and  declared  Reason  their  god,  but 
were  compelled  by  the  terrible  results  of  such  idolatry  and 
Atheism  to  restore  the  observance  of  the  Christian  religion. 


Four  Steps  in  Crime.  1  Kings  xxi,  4-14. 
Make  outline  of  four  steps,  then  ask  what  were  Ahab's 
"four  steps  in  crime"  (With  these  four  words  at  the  top  of 
the  blackboard.)  Put  the  answers  on  the  successive  steps : 
"Envy,"  (highest  step,)  then  "  Covetousness,"  "Perjury," 
M  Murder."   Below  write,  "  Vineyard  Gained— Soul  Lost." 


Six  Steps  of  Christ.  See  Acts  xiii,  26-41. 
Draw  six  steps.  On  highest,  "  Christ  being  equal  with 
God ;"  on  next  lower,  "  Made  himself  of  no  reputation ;"  next, 
"Took  form  of  servant;"  next,  "Made  in  likeness  of  men;" 
next,  "  humbled  himself;"  next,  u  death  on  the  cross."  Then 
write  from  bottom  of  the  blackboard  upward  to  top  of  steps, 
"  Wherefore  God  hath  highly  exalted  him." 


The  Word,  a  Sword. 
Draw  the  outline  of  a  two-edged  sword  with  wide  blade ; 
on  the  blade  print  "TIaEsWORD  against;"    and  opposite 
the  point  of  the  sword  write,   developing  the  points  from 
scholars  by  questions, 

1.  SPIRITUALISM. 

2.  BAD  BOOKS. 

3.  BAD  PAPERS. 

4.  ALL  IDOLS. 

5.  SINFUL  BUSINESS, 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       171 

God  brings  )  ™q    q-qx  j  not  peace, 

We  should  bring  )  \  but  a  sword. 

The  ungodliness  and  wickedness  of  spiritualism,  bad  liter- 
ature, and  dishonest  business,  can  be  abundantly  illustrated 
from  the  evils  of  the  day  of  which  these  are  the  roots. 


Saul's  Conversion.  Acts  ix,  1-8;  xxvi,  6-20. 

Draw  a  large  square  to  represent  Damascus,  and  a  little 
square  within  to  represent  the  feeble  Christian  "  Church." 
(Write  "  Church.")  Leave  a  small  open  space  in  the  large 
square  to  represent  the  city  gate.  A  little  beyond  it  write 
"  Saul,"  and  describe  and  develop  his  furious  hate  and  haste 
as  he  came  to  crush  that  little  Church.  (Write  beside  "Saul," 
"  Breathing  out  threatenings.")  Between  Saul  and  Damas- 
cus write  "  Christ,"  and  after  the  story  has  been  developed, 
write  "  Conquered  "  between  "  Christ "  and  "  Saul,"  and  "  Pro- 
tected "  between  "  Christ "  and  the  little  "  Church."  Having 
written  "  Breathing  out  threatenings  "  beside  the  word  "  Saul " 
at  first,  complete  it  thus, 

reathing  out  threatenings." 

ehold,  he  prayeth. 
There  is  no  way  to  account  for  the  marvelous  turning  about 
in  Saul's  course  of  life  from  that  day  forward  except  by  re- 
ceiving Paul's  account  of  his  change  of  heart  through  Christ. 


B 


Paul  at  Cesarea.  Acts  xxi,  8-15;  2  Tim.  iv,  1-8. 


PAUL,  YOUNG—*'  I  AM 

PAUL,  THE  AGED— "I  AM  NOW 


A1 


BE  YE  .XA.LSO 


» 1 


TO  DIE." 

TO  BE  OFFERED." 

FOR  DEATH. 

Below  these  words  make  the  grated  windows  of  jails,  and 
chains,  whips,  etc.,  and  across  them  print  the  words,  "  None 
of  these  things  move  me."  Stories  of  brave  martyrs  will 
furnish  abundant  illustration  of  this  point.  In  telling  the 
story  of  Agabus  and  the  girdle  in  a  primary  class,  it  will  add 


172       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

greatly  to  the  impressiveness  if  the  teacher  imitates  the  act 
of  Agabus  and  actually  binds  some  one  with  a  girdle. 


The  Death  op  Elisha.  2  Kings  xiii,  14-21, 
Draw  a  bow  and  print  on  it, 

OUR   "Qow> 

THE    JDlBLE. 
Then  make  the  following  acrostic  exercise  below  : 

All  have  sinned.  \  OF  THE  LORD'S 

Return  unto  me. 
Redeemed  by  the  blood. 
Old  things  passed  away 


DELIVERANCE 

FROM 


Weakness  made  strong.   \  THE  PJYRI^ 

Strength  made  perfect.    /  OF     kjIN. 

Paul  and  the  Bigoted  Jews. 
Draw  a  large  door  with  a  bar  across  it,  and  over  it  write 
"  Hypocrites,  bigots,  persecutors ;"  on  it,  "  Shut  up  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  against  men."     Beside  the  door  put  Christ's 
eight-fold  "  woe  "  against  hypocrisy : 

For  closing  the  gate  of  heaven  to  others. 

For  hypocrisy. 

For  proselyting  fanaticism. 

For  blind  evasion  of  oaths. 

For  neglecting  justice,  mercy,  and  trtith. 

For  inward  corruptions. 

For  intemperance. 

For  mock  repentance. 


Jehu,  the  King.  2  Kings  x,  20-31. 
Draw  a  wide  road  branching  off  into  two :  one  broad,  to 
the  left;  and  one  narrow,  to  the  right.  In  the  broad  branch 
write,  "  He  departed  not  from  the  sins  which  he  condemned." 
In  the  narrow  road  write,  "  He  took  no  heed  to  walk  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord."     Above  the  roads  print : 

Inconsistent    TTTT^r^TP  . 
NEXCUSABLE     J    U  U  VJrJtjJ  . 
TTTflTT  J  JUDGEST   ANOTHER; 
LUU         ]  CONDEMNEST  THYSELF; 

DOEST  THE  SAME  THINGS, 


THROUGH  THE  E^TE  TO  THE  HEART.       173 

See  Romans  i,  20;  ii,  1-3.  Apply  the  lessons  to  those  who 
to-day  judge  and  condemn  and  criticise  Christians,  but  "do 
the  same  things"  they  condemn,  and  thus  play  the  part  of 
Jehu  as  inconsistent  judges.  Show  that  the  very  criticisms 
made  upon  Christians  display  such  a  knowledge  of  Christian 
duty  as  makes  the  "judge  "  himself  inexcusable  for  neglect- 
ing those  duties. 

Paul  at  Athens.  Acts  xvii,  22-34. 
Draw  the  outline  of  a  large  altar  with  the  words  upon  it, 
"To  the  unknown  God."  After  reviewing  the  first  part  of 
the  lesson,  erase  "  To  the  unknown,"  and  develop  the  follow- 
ing around  the  word  "  God,"  as  the  substance  of  what  Paul 
told  them  and  us  of  God  : 

"IN  THE  BEG-INNING- 

"He  was  before}  I         i      \    i      l        lighted     l™^  wm?TTi 
all  thing."    J  Ur  Vj  JJ        SS^S?  } The  W0RLD' 

MADE 

CROWNED        f  JV_L_A_JN  • 
INSTRUCTED    I 


K.EDEEM.ED 
cc 


By  THE  "LAMB  of  GOD 

Slain    from    foundation   of   the   world." 

[See  Object  Illustrations  on  "  The  Watch  "  and  "  The  Lily 
in  the  tirst  section  of  the  Appendix.] 


The  Gospel  Trumpet. 
Make  the  outline  of  a  trumpet  and  inscribe  on  it,  "  Go   ye 
into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature." 
On  the  flag  that  hangs  from  it,  "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
cleanseth  from  all  sin." — E.  L.  B. 


The  Frightful  Roll. 

It  is  recorded  of  Luther,  that  during  a  serious  illness  the  evil  one  seemed 
to  enter  his  sick  room,  and  looking  at  him  with  a  triumphant  smile,  unrolled 


174 


T&ROtfGtt  T&E  EYE  TO  T£E  HEART. 


a  vast  roll  which  he  carried  in  hia  arms.  As  the  fiend  threw  one  end  of  it 
on  the  floor,  and  it  unwound  itself  with  the  impetus  he  had  given  it,  Lu- 
ther's eye3  were  fixed  on  it,  and  to  his  consternation  he  read  there  the  long 
and  fearful  record  of  his  own  sins,  clearly  and  distinctly  enumerated.  There 
stood  before  his  very  eyes  "  the  sins  and  offenses  of  his  youth,"  and  all  his 
"  transgressions  in  all  his  sin." 

There  they  were  in  letters  as  black  a3  he  felt  his  sins  to  be,  and  as  plain 
as  they  would  be  if  God  should  u  set  them  before  him  in  the  light  of  his 
countenance."  "His  heart  failed  him "  as  he  looked.  The  stout  heart 
which  never  quailed  before  man — the  firm,  honest  eye,  which  could  look 
cardinals  and  bishops,  princes  and  palatine,  in  the  face — did  quail  before 
that  ghastly  roll.  "  His  sins  took  such  a  hold  upon  him  that  he  was  not 
able  to  look  up." 

Suddenly  it  flashed  into  his  mind  that  there  was  one  thing  not  written 
there.  He  said  aloud:  "One  thing  you  have  forgotten:  'The  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ,  his  Son,  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin,"1  and  as  he  said  this  the 
"Accuser  of  the  brethren,"  and  his  heavy  roll  of  "lamentation  and  mourn- 
ing and  woe,"  disappeared  together. 

In  using  this  incident  a  scroll  would,  of  course,  be  drawn 
and  used  as  suggested  by  the  story,  with  the  incident  for  il- 
lustration. 


Peter. 

Acts 

x,  1-2C 

. 

PETER. 

FISHERMAN, 

SHEPHERD, 

MA 

RTY 

R. 

*, 

i 

THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


175 


The  Crown  oe  Life. 

Make  an  outline  crown  with  the  word  "Life"  upon  it,  the 
rays  diverging  from  it  downward  shining  through  the  words 
"Tribulation,"  "Persecution,  "Distress."  Underneath,  a 
sword,  on  the  hilt  of  which  is  written  "Z?e;"  on  the  blade, 
" thou  faithful ;"  on  the  guard,  "unto  death" — Selected. 

Or  make  Naaman's  leprosy  the  occasion  of  contrasting  the 
earthly  and  heavenly  crown,  as  below : 


^*THiy      V>VE*^ 


MPURE.  W^TH 


PURE    WITH 


GLORY 


CLINGS1// POISONS.       FOR  GOOD^DEEDS. 
—  WASH  !  —        WORDS  FITLY  SPOKEN 
AND  BE  THOU  CLEAN.      BE  THOU  FAITHFUL! 


[See  2  Kings  v,  1-14. 


2  Tim.  iv,  1-8  ]     J.  B.  P. 


"THE    L/V/AG  WAT£i\ 


Mil;   S^WfS^    AND 


^T7 


[See  1  Kings  xvii,  1-16.] 


Anon. 


If 


any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  ME  and  DRINK." 


176 


THROUGH  THft    EYE   TO   THE    BEAM 


[See  Acts  xvi,  1-15.] 


The  Shield  of  Faith. 


Anon, 


The  following  exercises,*  by  J.  B.  Phipps,  of  Baltimore, 
can  readily  be  understood  by  all : 


Vt  GOO  ^.TO^SNVICIVU 

0>it*COME   SIN   AND   TEMPr^ 


<*XJH 


Victory  !     f\eVv  Af\D  ! 

THROUGH    OUR  \_ORD    -itSUS  ChR\ST 


[See  2  lira,  iv,  1-8.] 

♦The  four  exercises  following  this,  and  one  in  the  center  of  page  175,  are 
also  by  Mr.  Phipps,  who  has  for  several  years  prepared  the  admirable 
blackboard  exercises  of  the  "  Sunday-School  Journal," 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


177' 


178 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


[See  Acts  xxvii,  14-26.] 


[See  2  Kings  v,  20-27 ;  Acts  xix,  17-28.] 


[See  Acts  xix.  1-12.] 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


179 


(Condemned. 

Rejected. 

Oppressed. 

^0  % 


Owned 
Worshipped. 
Near  the  throne. 


ROW 


[See  Acts  xiii,  26-41.] 


^♦^ 


The  Gate  of  Prayer. 


[See  1  Kings  xviii,  36-46  ;  2  Kings  iv3  25-37.] 


180 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


H 

< 

P 

W 

- 

w 

H 

W 
W 


■ 


© 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


181 


The  Christian's  Monument. 

The  Christian's  monument,  as  in  the  Catacombs,  may  be 
inscribed  "  Vivit"  for  "  He  lives"  in  a  better  and  truer  sense 


©OK 


'{ 


a 


Lifted  Higher 


DEC  26  T." 


Natal  is  Dies 

WOT 


Ctf/j>/ST//7/V 


than  ever  before.  The  day  of  death  among  the  early  Chris- 
tians was  marked  on  the  grave-stones  "JVatalis  dies"  u  the 
day  of  birth."     A  dying  girl,  just  before  her  death,  looked 


182 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


upward  and  said  softly,  "Lift  me  higher!  lift  me  higher !" 
Her  parents  raised  her  up  with  pillows ;  but  she  faintly  said, 
"  No,  not  that ;  but  there!"  again  looking  earnestly  toward 
heaven,  whither  her  happy  soul  fled  a  few  moments  later.  On 
her  grave-stone  the  words  are  carved,  "  Lifted  higher." 

A  German  infidel  had  taught  his  family  that  man  dies  as  the 
beast  dies,  and  has  no  immortality.  His  daughter,  dearly 
loved  by  her  father,  died.  The  custom  in  Germany  is  to  put 
on  the  grave-stones  at  the  top,  "  Hier  ruhet  in  Gott"  "  Here 
rests  in  God ;  "  but,  knowing  he  had  not  believed  in  immor- 
tality, those  who  made  the  stone  came  to  him  and  asked  what 
they  should  put  on.  He  struggled  in  his  thoughts  for  a  few 
moments  and  then  said  sadly,  "  Write  Hier  ruhet  in  Gott" 
Death  had  conquered  his  philosophy.  "Him  that  overcometh 
will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God." 


Our  Monument  op  Victory. 
Another  exercise  with  a  similar  monument :  make  a  pict- 


ure of  Bunker  Hill  monument. 
Near  the  top  picture  on  its  face 
a  cross,  with  "Jesus"  written 
at  the  center.  Around  it  put 
the  words,  "In  this  sign  con- 
quer." Below,  in  large  letters, 
"  Thanks  be  unto  God  that  giv- 
eth  us  the  victory  through  our 
Lord."  Here  picture  the  mono- 
gram of  Christ,  if  familiar,  other- 
wise write  the  words,  "Jesus 
Christ."  Below  or  beside  the 
monument  make  this  banner : 

This  exercise  may  be  used  very  appropriately  in  connec- 
tion with  the  altar  inscribed  "  Jehovah  Nissi,"  {My  Ban- 
ner]) which  Moses  raised  upon  a  hill9  after  Amalek  had  been 
put  to  rout.     (Exod.  xvii,  8-15.) 


WHEN  I  CRY   UNTO 

THEE, 

then  shall  mine  enemies 

TURN  BACK; 
THIS     I     KNOW, 

For  GOD  is  WITH  ME. 


THROUGH  TflJB   EYE  TO  tfHE  HEART. 
Gehazi,  the  Leper.  2  Kings  v,  20-27. 


183 


1.  Draw  in  advance  the  picture  of  a  set  of  stairs,  and  let 
it  stand  (with  no   words   written    about  it  or  on  it  except 


184 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


"  Gehazi's  steps  in  sin,")  in  presence  of  the  school  during  the 
study  of  the  lesson. 

2.  Then  show  what  those  steps  were:  the  thought  ;  the  in- 
tention ;  the  getting  money  by  fraud ;  the  perversion  of  his 
privilege  and  power  as  a  servant  of  the  prophet,  which  was, 
perhaps,  the  greatest  crime ;  the  stealing,  and  the  attempted 
lying.  Write  each  word,  as  the  thought  is  presented,  on  the 
steps. 

3.  But  when  one  has  taken  steps  in  sin  of  his  own  accord, 
there  are  results  which  follow  by  a  natural  consequence  and 
cannot  be  avoided.  Write  "  Where  they  led."  Then  on  the 
lower  six  steps,  successively,  the  six  italicized  expressions  be- 
low, illustrating  each  by  incidents  of  the  downward  course 
of  vice  and  sin:  Guilt,  the  defilement  of  character;  Dis- 
covery;  Leprosy  ;  Lost  Privilege — he  might  have  succeeded 
Elisha,  as  Elisha  had  succeeded  Elijah  ;  Tainted  Blood,  "thy 
seed  after  thee."     Finally,  a  Lost  Soul. 

4.  Sum  up  what  the  lesson  teaches  about  sin. 

Rev,  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 

Salvation  ijy  Faith  and  Prayer.  Acts  xvi,  22-34. 


-\a£CE\M£  SKtilKf urn 
V^VVLUB  NL11Q  CHRIST 


iRPOSfc 


>— 


.;..-  WA 


THROtfGfi:  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


185 


1.  Write  at  the  foot  of  the  board  SIN,  the  natural  condi- 
tion of  every  one.  At  the  head  SALVATION,  the  aim 
which  all  need  to  seek. 

2.  Draw  the  ladder  with  its  six  steps,  beginning  at  the 
lowest  and  explaining  each  one. 

3.  Then  show  how  PRAYER  runs  through  every  step, 
and  should  accompany  all.  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 


The  Call  of  Christ.  Acts  xxvi,  6-20. 


1.  Draw  in  the  center  of  the  board  a  star;  write  on  it 
JESUS,  and  around  it  illuminating  rays.  The  star  and  rays, 
yellow ;  the  name,  blue,  shaded  with  purple.  Let  this  -re- 
main in  the  presence  of  the  school  during  the  lesson. 

2.  Show  the  traits  of  Christ  which  this  lesson  discloses, 
and  write  them,  one  opposite  each  point  of  the  star.  [White 
chalk.] 

3.  Present  the  duties  which  this  shows  us  in  relation  to 
Jesus :  to  listen  to  his  words ;  answer  his  voice ;  trust,  obey^ 
confess  him.     [Red  chalk,  shaded  with  blue.] 

Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut. 


186       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  3EART. 

Saved  Through  Christ.  (Heb.  iv,  13-16.) 
The  following  exercise,  contributed  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Ostrander. 
illustrates  at  once  several  of  the  classes  we  have  mentioned : 


The  first  thought  to  be  impressed  is,  "  All  things  are  naked 
and  open  to  the  eye  of  Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do."  The 
outline  of  an  eye  is  made,  and  opposite  is  printed  the  word 
"  Us."  The  rays  from  the  eye  pass  to  the  top  and  bottom, 
and  also  to  intermediate  points  of  the  word,  because  God  sees 
us  and  knows  us  altogether.  Then  the  words  u  Judges," 
"  Excludes,"  "  Searches,"  "  Unvails,"  "  Sees,"  are  written  one 
below  another  between  the  eye  and  the  word  "  Us,"  each  of 
them  developed  by  questions  and  then  explainer!.  But  we 
have  u  a  High  Priest,  Jesus."  Erase  the  words  just  written, 
except  their  first  letters,  and  the  word  "  Jesus  "  will  remain. 
Then  notice,  God  sees  us  through  Jesus.  Write  "  J  "  and 
"  T  "  before  and  after  "  Us,"  and  then  it  will  be,  God  sees 
us  just  through  Jesus.  Illustrate  this  thought  by  the 
following  incident : 

Little  Alice  was  one  of  my  Sabbath-school  scholars — a  fair- 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


187 


haired,  blue-eyed  little  girl,  whose  beautiful  face  and  sweet, 
winning  ways  made  her  a  favorite  with  all.  Methinks  I  can 
see  now  the  soft,  tender  look  of  her  mild  eyes,  fixed  so  ear- 
nestly upon  me,  as  I  endeavored  to  impress  upon  her  open- 
ing mind  the  Gospel  plan  of  salvation. 

One  day  I  said  to  her :  "  Alice,  what  will  you  do  when  you 
die,  and  are  called  upon  to  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
God,  to  answer  for  all  the  sins  done  here  upon  earth  ?  " 

Her  face  glowed  with  emotion  as  she  answered,  u  Christ 
died  for  sinners ;  I  will  hide  behind  him.  God  will  not  look 
at  me  ;  he  will  look  at  Christ." 

Beautiful  thought,  to  hide  behind  Christ,  to  lose  ourselves 
in  him,  and,  casting  aside  our  own  impure  works,  to  rest 
solely  and  entirely  upon  his  finished  work  for  salvation ! 

Illustrations  of  the  thoughts  that  God  sees,  unvails,  searches, 
judges,  excludes,  may  be  found  in  the  following  incidents  of 
Scripture:  2  Kings  v,  20,  etc. ;  Josh,  vii,  1,  etc. ;  Acts  v,  1, 
etc. ;  Matt,  xxvi,  6-25. 


Christ  The  Door. — The  Blackboard,  (with  changes,  etc.) 


"I  AM  HE 

"  NO  MAN  COMETH 
TO  THE  FATHER 
BUT  BY  ME." 


LlFK. 

Salvation, 
appinbss. 

HAVEN. 


"KNOCK, 


AND   IT    SHALL 
BE  OPENED  lTN 
TO  YOU." 


At  the  beginning  of  the  exercise  <c  Now  V  should  be  written 
on  the  door  in  the  center,  and  "  Come  unto  me  "  on  the  steps. 


188       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

At  the  close  erase  "  Now,"  and"  write  "  Too  late  "  on  the  door, 
and  "  Depart  from  me  "  on  the  steps. 

Another  exercise  can  be  made  with  the  door  by  letting  it 
represent  the  door  to  our  hearts.  In  place  of  the  passage  "  I 
am  the  door,"  etc.,  write  "I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock." 
At  one  side  write  "  Be  ye  lift  up,  ye  everlasting  doors  ;  and 
the  King  of  glory  shall  come  in."  On  the  door  write  "  To- 
morrow ;"  on  the  steps  write  "  No  admittance  except  on 
business."  Read  the  passages  on  the  heart's  entrance.  Sing 
*  Let  the  good  angels  come  in,"  and  let  some  one  read  or 
Bpeak  the  following : 

To-Morrow. 

Lord,  what  am  I,  that,  with  unceasing  care, 
Thou  didst  seek  after  me — that  thou  didst  wait, 
Wet  with  unhealthy  dews,  before  my  gate, 

And  pass  the  gloomy  nights  of  winter  there  ? 

0  strange  delusion  that  I  did  not  greet 

Thy  blest  approach !  and  0,  to  Heaven  how  lost, 
If  my  ingratitude's  unkindly  frost 

Has  chilled  the  bleeding  wounds  upon  thy  feet  I 

How  oft  my  guardian  angel  gently  cried, 

M  Soul,  from  thy  casement  look,  and  thou  shalt  see 
How  He  persists  to  knock  and  wait  for  thee  I  " 
And  0 !  how  often  to  that  voice  of  sorrow, 

"  To-morrow  we  will  open,"  I  replied, 
And  when  the  morrow  came  I  answered  still,  u  To-morrow." 

Christ  in  All  the  Scriptures  and  in  All  Time. 

I.  Christ  is  in  all  time,  before  all  time,  and  after  all  time : 
"  From  everlasting  to  everlasting."  "  He  was  before  all 
things,"  "  and  his  throne  is  for  ever  and  ever."  He  is  "  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  the  first  and  the 
last."  The  hour-glass  representing  time,  all  above  it  repre- 
sents the  eternity  "  before  his  works  of  old  ;"  all  below  it  that 
which  shall  be  when  "  time  shall  be  no  longer." 

II.  Christ  in  "  all  the  Scriptures."  Luke  xxiv,  27.  On  the 
upper  border  of  the  hour-glass,  which  indicates  the  beginning 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


189 


ff  Ffjom  Everlasting" 

SiiliWi^lJii 


$£t* 


of  time,  begins  the  Bible  record.     The  heavens  and  the  earth 
have  only  one  verse  /  then  the  earth  at  large  only  forty-four 

verses,  and  from 
that  point  the  his- 
tory narrows  itself 
to  the  Messianic; 
line.  Seth,  Noah, 
Abraham,  (first 
covenant,)  Judah, 
David,  (second 
covenant,)  Mary, 
and  then  JJSSUK 
The  symbols  on 
the  one  hand,  and 
the  prophecies  on 
the  other, also  point 
toChrist.  Thus  the 
entire  Old  Testa- 
ment narrows  from 
11  the  heavens  and 
the  earth  "  to  the 
little  manger  at 
Bethlehem.  But 
when  Christ  comes 
it  broadens:  " Je- 
rusalem, Judea,and 
Samaria,  the  utter- 


N&  DAVID   3 


J1/^RM0STP^\    . 


ANDTHE 

NEW   EARTH 

TO     EVERLASTING 


THY  THRONE 

O  God  is 


FOREVER  AND  EVER 


most  parts  of  the  earth."  Acts  i,  8. 

At  the  end  of  time  (lower  rim)  "his  dominion  shall  be 
from  sea  to  sea."  And  when  "  time  shall  be  no  longer,"  the 
"  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,"  corresponding  with 
"  heavens  and  earth  "  at  the  top. 

"  Because  he  never  comes,  and  stands, 
And  stretches  out  to  me  both  hands ; 
Because  he  never  leans  before 
The  gate,  when  I  set  wide  the  door 


190       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

At  morning,  or  is  never  found 

Just  at  my  side  when  I  turn  round, 

Half  thinking  I  shall  meet  his  eyes, 

From  watching  the  broad  moon-globe  rise — 

For  all  this  shall  I  cease  to  pray, 

And  let  my  heart  grow  hard,  and  say : 

'  He  perished,  and  has  ceased  to  be ; 

Another  comes,  but  never  he  ? ' 

Nay,  by  our  wondrous  being,  nay ! 

Although  his  face  I  never  see 

Through  all  the  infinite  To  Be, 

I  know  He  lives  and  cares  for  me." 

The  symbols  and  metaphors  of  the  Bible  may  be  outlined 
on  the  board,  or  used  as  symbol  exercises,  and  the  following 
table  may  also  suggest  many  exercises  to  the  thoughtful 
teacher,  both  for  this  division,  "  Outline  Exercises,"  and  also 
for  "  Symbol  Exercises : " 

Table  of  Symbols, 
partly  of  new,  partly  of  primeval  significance. 

The    Hieroglyphical  Language   of  the    Universal    Church 
during  the  early  ages. 

Heaven  is  symbolized  by  the  segment  of  a  circle,  some- 
times of  pure  blue,  sometimes  edged  with  the  thin  colors  of 

the  rainbow. 

The  Universe  by  a  globe,  usually  of  deep  blue*** 
God  the  Father  by  a  hand  issuing  from  the  preceding 
symbol  of  Heaven,  Ezek.  ii,  9 ;  viii,  3. 

God  the  Son  by  the  monogram  formed  of  the 
initial  letters  of  the  name  Christ  in  Greek;  also  by 
the  Cross,  although  this  was  more  correctly  the 
symbol  of  salvation  through  the  atonement;  also  by  a  rock, 
1  Cor.  x,  4  ;  Exod.  xvii,  6  ;  also  by  a  lamb,  Isa.  lvii,  1 ;  fre- 
quently with  a  glory  and  carrying  a  cross ;  also  by  a  pelican, 
Psa.  cii,  6  ;  also  by  a  vine,  John  xv,  1,  etc. ;  also  by  a  lamp 
or  candle,  as  "  the  light  of  the  world,"  John  ix,  5 ;  also  by  a 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.     191 

fish,  suggested  by  the  word  IxQv?,  frequently  found  in  the 
Catacombs,  acrostically  formed  from  the  initial  letters  of  the 
titles  of  Our  Saviour,  'iTjoovg  XQiorog  Qeov  vidg  2om)p — Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour. 

God  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  dove,  usually  bearing  the 
olive  branch  ;  also  by  water  issuing  from  the  beak  of  the  dove, 
or  rising  as  a  fountain  from  a  vase,  as  the  "  well  of  water 
springing  up  into  everlasting  life,"  John  iv,  14 ;  also  by  a 
lamp  or  candlestick,  seven  of  which  ranged  to  the  right  and 
left  of  the  altar  in  the  old  mosaics,  signify  the  gift  of  the 
Spirit.  Rev.  i,  12  ;  iv,  5. 

The  Holy  Trinity  by  the  three-colored  rainbow  encircling 
our  Saviour,  the  visible  form  or  image  of  the  Deity,  and  who 
sometimes  is  represented  seated  upon  it,  Ezek.  i,  28  ;  Rev. 
iv,  3  ;  also  by  three  beams  of  light  radiating  from  the  head 
of  Christ ;  also  by  the  extension  of  the  thumb  and  fore  and 
middle  fingers  of  our  Saviour's  hand,  as  held  up  in  the 
western  form  of  giving  the  benediction. 

Paradise  by  a  mountain,  in  conformity  with  the  traditions 
of  almost  all  nations. 

Satan  by  the  serpent. 

The  Obedience  and  Atonement  of  Christ  by  the  cross, 
sometimes  plain,  sometimes  richly  gemmed,  occasi  onally  with 
roses  or  flowers  springing  from  it. 

The  Course  op  Human  Life  by  the  sun  and  moon. 

The  Church,  in  her  general  character,  by  a  mountain,  as 
typified  by  Paradise,  and  in  allusion  also  to  Dan.  ii,  34. 

The  Church  Militant  by  a  female  figure  standing,  with 
her  hands  raised  in  prayer ;  also  by  the  vine  as  "  brought  out 
of  Egypt,"  Psa.  lxxx,  8  ;  Isa.  v,  1,  etc. ;  also  by  a  vessel  in 
full  sail — an  emblem  originally  heathen,  but  naturalized  and 
carried  out  in  the  most  minute  and  fanciful  particulars  by  the 
Latin  Fathers. 

The  Church  Triumphant  by  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  city 
of  the  Apocalypse,  Rev.  xxi  and  Ezek.  xlvii — frequently 
identified  with  the  original  palace  in  Eden. 


192       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

The  Two  Covenants,  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  by 
the  "  Wheel  in  the  Middle  of  a  Wheel,"  Ezek.  i,  16. 

The  Sacrament  op  Baptism,  by  water  poured  out  on  the 
cross  by  the  dove. 

The  Lord's  Supper,  by  ears  of  corn  or  loaves,  and  grapes 
or  vases  of  wine. 

The  Apostles,  by  twelve  sheep  or  lambs,  usually  repre- 
sented issuing  from  the  cities  of  our  Saviour's  birth  and  death, 
Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem,  and  approaching  a  central  lamb, 
figurative  of  Christ,  standing  on  the  Mount  of  Paradise. 

The  Evangelists,  by  the  four  mystic  animals  described 
in  Rev.  iv,  1 ;  Ezek.  i,  10,  and  x,  14,  the  angel  being  usually 
assigned  to  St.  Matthew,  the  lion  to  St.  Mark,  the  ox  to  St. 
Luke,  and  the  eagle  to  St.  John :  also  by  the  four  rivers  issu- 
ing from  the  Mount  of  Paradise,  "  to  water  the  earth,"  Gen. 
ii,  10. 

The  Faithful,  by  sheep  as  under  the  charge  of  the  Good 
Shepherd,  Christ,  John  x,  14 ;  xxii,  15,  etc. ;  also  by  fish,  as 
caught  in  the  net  of  the  Gospel,  Matt,  xiii,  47  ;  Mark  i,  11 ; 
Ezek.  xlvii,  9,  and  new-born  in  baptism ;  also  by  doves 
other  birds,  designs  of  a  loftier  and  purer  element,  either 
eating  grapes  or  ears  of  corn  as  figurative  of  the  Eucharist, 
or  drinking  from  the  vase  and  fountain,  emblematical  of 
Christ,  or  holding  branches  of  olive  in  their  beaks  and  re- 
posing on  the  cross  :  also  by  stags  at  the  well  or  water  brook, 
Psa.  xlii,  2 ;  also  by  date  trees  or  cedars,  trees  of  righteous- 
ness planted  by  the  waters  and  bearing  fruit  in  their  season, 
or  Psa.  i,  3;  xcii,  12;  Isa.  lxi,  3;  Jer.  xvii,  8;  also  by 
little  children  or  genii  sporting  among  the  vine  leaves,  or 
plucking  the  fruit,  and  after  death,  with  the  wings  of  Psyche, 
or  the  butterfly. 

Sanctity,  by  the  nimbus,  a  circlet  of  glory  round  the  head, 
a  most  ancient  symbol,  being  common  to  the  religions  of  India, 
Persia,  Egypt,  Greece,  and  Rome,  from  the  latter  of  which  it 
was  adopted  by  the  early  Christians. 

Faith,  by  the  various  symbols  of  the  faithful  just  mentioned, 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART.       193 

Hope,  by  the  anchor,  Heb.  vi,  19. 

Charity,  by  a  heart. 

Purity,  by  the  lily. 

Incorruptibility,  by  the  Rose  of  Sharon. 

Watchfulness,  by  the  cock. 

Victory,  by  the  palm  branch,  Rev.  vii,  9,  or  wreath  or 
crown  such  as  was  given  to  the  conqueror  in  the  arena,  1  Cor. 
ix,  25,  etc. 

Peace,  by  a  branch  or  leaf  of  olive,  borne  by  the  dove, 
symbolical  either  of  the  Holy  Spirit  or  of  the  believer,  accord- 
ing to  circumstances. 

The  Resurrection,  by  the  phenix  and  the  peacock,  which 
latter  loses  its  beautiful  plumage  in  winter  and  recovers  it 
in  the  spring. 

Eternity,  by  a  ring  or  circle  of  peace,  glory,  etc.,  accord- 
ing to  the  emblematical  import  of  the  material  of  which  it  is 
composed,  and  within  which  are  frequently  inserted  the  sym- 
bols of  our  Saviour,  the  Church,  etc. 

Eternal  Life,  by  the  mystic  Jordan,  the  "river  which 
maketh  glad  the  city  of  God,"  formed  by  the  junction  of  the 
four  evangelical  streams,  descending  from  the  Mount  of  Para- 
dise, and  in  which  souls,  in  the  shape  of  little  children,  are 
sometimes  seen  swimming  and  sporting,  precisely  as  they 
figure  in  the  mystic  Nile,  in  the  tombs  of  the  Pharaohs. 

The  above  table,  taken  from  "  Sketches  of  the  History  of 
Christian  Art,"  an  excellent  work  written  by  Lord  Lindsey, 
is  a  complete  alphabet  of  the  art  language  of  the  early  Church. 
In  almost  every  case  the  symbols  are  derived  from  the  Bible, 
and  form  a  real  alphabet  for  the  eye-teaching  that  was  then 
so  common. 

These  symbols  were  grouped  in  countless  combinations,  as 
we  combine  letters  in  words.  A  hand  and  the  symbol  of 
heaven  meant  "  Our  Father  in  heaven."  Any  of  the  sym- 
bols of  Christ  with  Alpha  and  Omega  on  its  right  and  left 
meant  that  Christ  was  "  the  First  and  the  Last."  The  fish 
Bymbol  and  the  lamb  together  indicated  his  divinity  and  sac- 
13 


194-       THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 

rificial  character.  Faith,  hope,  and  charity,  the  cross,  anchor, 
and  heart,  were  sometimes  mingled.  The  ring  of  eternity 
with  the  symbol  of  God  or  Christ  or  the  Church  within,  indi- 
cates the  eternity  of  that  included.  In  the  paintings,  sculpt- 
ure, inscriptions,  votive  offerings,  these  symbols  were  con- 
stantly combined  into  significant  forms.  In  our  language 
to-day  these  symbols  still  linger  as  metaphors. 

This  table  may  serve,  with  a  little  throwing  out  of  fanciful 
and  useless  symbols,  and  with  the  symbolism  of  the  tabernacle 
added,  as  an  alphabet  for  the  eye-teacher  in  object  and  black- 
board teaching.  A  careful  study  of  the  table  will  suggest 
many  useful  exercises  to  be  made  by  modifications  and  com- 
binations. To  complete  the  eye-teacher's  alphabet  we  add 
the  symbolism  of  color,  as  it  has  been  beautifully  brought  out 
di  connection  with  the  twelve  colors  of  the  heavenly  wall,  in 
Rev.  xxii,  19,  20. 

1.  Jasper,  (crimson,)  passion,  suffering. 

2.  Sapphire,  (blue,)  truth,  calm. 
«3.  Chalcedony,  (white,)  purity. 

4.  Emerald,  (green,)  hope. 

5.  Sardonyx,  (mixed  color,)  tenderness  and  pain  and  puri- 
fying. 

6.  Sardius,  (blood-red,)  love,  including  anguish. 

7.  Chrysolite,  (golden  green,)  glory  manifest. 

8.  Beryl,  (serenest  blue,)  bliss. 

9.  Topaz,  (flame,)  joy  of  the  Lord. 

10.  Chrysoprase,  (azure,)  peace  that  passeth  understanding. 

11.  Jacinth,  (purple,)       )  r  r  .  , 

„„     .        ,  ,        V  x   f  promises  of  future  glory. 

12.  Amethyst,  (purple,)   )  r  b      J 

Of  course,  only  a  part  of  these  colors  can  be  used  by  the 
blackboard  delineator,  and  he  cannot  always  use  them  with 
their  appropriate  symbolism  ;  but  colors  have  always  been 
types,  and  some  understanding  of  their  import  is  almost  a 
necessity  to  any  one  who  would  use  the  blackboard  successfully. 

The  symbolism  of  color  is  still  more  exhibited  in  Mrs.  Jame- 
son's "  Legendary  Ait." 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


195 


Table  of  Blackboard  Alphabets  for  Lettering. 

ABCDEFGHIJKLM 

NOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

ABCDEFGHIJKLM 
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

abcdefghijklmnopq 

rstuvwxyz&,  ;:.!?' 

12  34567890 


F8HIJKLHD 


IFORSTU 


tfiifi 


M 


11 


abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.,j;I?,~ 


.A.  IB  ODE3PGHIJKL 


196 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


-A.  IB  CDEFG 

h:  i  a"  k:  Xj  im:  isr  o 

F  QRSTTJV 
"WXTZ.,;:!?' 
1234567890 

a  b  ede  f  gli  t  j'k  lniflo  ()  q  r  s  t 

ABCDEFGHIJKL 
M  NOPQRSTUVW 
XYZ.,;:-?!'i23456789o 

BCDEFGHIJKL 

I©PlESfl¥W 
XYZ1  2:H5078JM> 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


197 


AB  CDBFGHIJK 
LM  N  OPQ,  RSTU  V 
"WXYZ1234567890 


A  B 


t     t     t       * 


QMTDVWXY 


ABCDEFGHIJKL 
MNOPQKSTUVW 
XYZ&1234567890 


*1M  .,;:?!'-1  2340'B7$ 


I JUJLII 
IQPQBST8VVIU 


198 


THROUGH  THE  EYE  TO  THE  HEART. 


ABCDEFGHIJK   I,  H 
NOPQRSTUVWXY 

Z.,$:'-!?1234567890 

&  :'f  €  §  « |  #  i  1 1  f  f  Iff 

9  •  f  4.S  f  f  «  v  w  J  f  » 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN 
OPQRSTU VWXYZ 

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU 
VWXYZ&?!1234567890 

abcdefghij  klmn 
op   q_:rst"u.vw:xyz& 

.,;:?!'-1234567890 

Note. — For  farther  varieties  in  lettering,  or  for  minute  directions  in  regard 
to  it,  one  should  examine  "The  Art  of  Lettering,"  by  A.  P.  Boyce,  published 
by  A.  Williams  &  Co.,  Boston,  or  "The  Sign  Painter's  Manual,"  one  or  the 
other  of  which  is  owned  by  every  Bign  painter.  Printing  offices,  also,  will 
afford  further  alphabets  if  desired  from  their  catalogues  of  type  foundries. 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS  OF  THE 

INTERNATIONAL  LESSONS  FOR  1877. 


The  second  passage  of  Scripture  referred  to  in  each  case  is  the  Golden  Text  for  the  day. 

LBssoisrs. 

The  Kingdom  of  Israel— First  Quarter,  1877. 

1.  The  Kingdom  Divided.  1  Kings  xii.  12-20.    Golden  Text:  1  Kings  xii,  8;  Psalm  i,  1. 

Pages  80,  81,  83,  87,  96,  101, 160 

2.  The  Sin  of  Jerobo.am.  1  Kings  xii,  25-33.    1  Kings  xiv,  16 101, 187, 178 

3.  Omri  and  Ahab.  1  Kings  xvi,  23-34.    2  Tim.  iii,  13 170 

4.  Elijah  the  Tishbite.  1  Kings  xvii,  1-16.    Job  v,  20 127, 169, 175 

5.  Elijah  and  Ahab.  1  Kings  xviii,  5-18.    Josh  vii,  25 183 

6.  Elijah  and  the  Prophets  of  Baal.  1  Kings  xviii,  19-29.    1  Kings  xviii,  21 143 

7.  Elijah  and  his  Sacrifice.  1  Kings  xviii,  36^6.    1  Kings  xviii,  24 i  52'  1^g  ^  ^ 

8.  Elijah  at  Horeb.  1  Kings  xix,  8-18.    Job  xxiii,  6 116'  130^  165 

9.  The  Story  of  Naboth.  1  Kings  xxi,  4-14.    1  Kings  xxi,  20 37,  76,  170 

10.  Elijah  Translated.  2  Kings  ii,  J-12.    Gen.  v,  24 37,  143, 181 

11.  The  Spirit  on  Elisha.  2  Kings  ii,  13-25.    2  Kings  ii,  15 113,  117, 159,  175,  178 

12.  Review,  or  Lesson  selected  by  the  School.  Psalm  lxxv,  7 46,  6S,  69,  144, 165, 166, 167 

The  Kingdom  of  Israel— Second  Quarter,  1877. 

1.  The  Oil  Increased.  2  Kings  iv,  1-7.    2  Cor.  ix,  8 26,  63,  85, 110, 156 

2.  The  Shunammite's  Son.  2  Kings  iv,  25-37.    Matt,  xv,  28 136, 147 

8.  Naaman  the  Leper.  2  Kings  v,  1-14.    Psalm  li,  7 j  75'  ^  ^  ^  ^ 

4.  Gehazi  the  Leper.  2  Kings  v,  20-27.    Prov.  xv,  27 j  146  "H7  m  rrl  IS* 

5.  Elisha  at  Dothan.  2  Kings  vi,  8-18.    2  Kinsrs  vi,  16 79,  S3',  12s',  153,'  176'  182 

6.  The  Famine  in  Samaria.  2  Kings  vii,  12-20.    Luke  xviii,  27 125 

7.  Jehu  the  King.  2  Kings  x,  20-31.    2  Kings  x,  31 172 

8.  Jonah  at  Nineveh.  Jonah  iii,  1-10.    Matt,  xii,  41 31,  116,  125 

9.  The  Death  of  Elisha.  2  Kings  xiii,  14-21.     Heb.  xi,  4 21, 107,  182 

10.  The  Lamentation  of  Amos.  Amos  v,  1-15.    1  Chron.  xxviii,  9 128 

11.  The  Promise  of  Revival.  Hosea  xiv,  1-9.     Hosea  xiii,  9 11,  36,  37,  88,  97,  139,  155 

12.  The  Captivity  of  Israel.  2  Kings  xvii,  6-18.    2  Kings  xviii,  12 101 ,  133,  135 

13.  Review  Lesson,  (with  Nahum  i,  1-13.)    Nahum  i,  3 i  JeV^f 'S  "^  ^ 

Studies  in  the  Acts-Third  Quarter,  1877. 

1.  Panl  at  Cyprus.  Acts  xiii,  1-13.     Acts  xiii,  12 93,  94,  107,  109, 110,  .173 

2.  Paul  at  Antioch.  Acts  xiii,  26-41.    Acts  xiii,  32 126,  138,  150, 170, 179 

3.  Turning  to  the  Gentiles.  Acts  xiii,  42-52.     Matt,  xii,  21 146 

4.  Paul  at  Lystra.  Acts  xiv,  8-20.    Jer.  x,  10  145 

5.  The  Yoke  Broken.  Acts  xv,  22-31.    Gal.  v,  1 91,  136 

6.  Paul  sent  to  Macedonia.  Acts  xvi,  1-15.    2  Cor.  ii,  12 137,  161,  163, 176,  1S7 

7.  Paul  and  Silas  in  Prison.    Acts  xvi,  22-34.    Psalm  xl,  3 66,  153,  161, 184 

8.  Thessalonians  and  JBereans.  Acts  xvii,  1-14.    Acts  xvii,  11 98, 134,  140 

9.  Paul  at  Athens.  Acts  xvii,  22-34.    1  Tim.  ii,  5 26, 107,  129,  173 

10.  Paul  at  Corinth.  Acts  xviii,  1-11.    Rom.  xii,  11 86,  115 

11.  Paul  at  Ephesus.  Acts  xix,  1-12.    1  Thess.  i,  5. 117,  178 

12.  Power  of  the  Word.  Acts  xix,  17-28.    Heb.  iv,  12. 108,  139,  161,  170 

13.  Paul  at  Miletus.  Acts  xx,  17-32.    2  Cor.  iv,  5 : 118, 

14.  Review,  or  Lesson  selected  by  the  School.  Col.  iii,  23. . . .  -j  42'  ^^  isi^^iil' 1$& 


200 


INDEX. 


Studies  in  the  Acts— Fourth  Quarter,  1877. 

Paul  at  Cesareu.  Acts  xxi,  S-15.     Acts  xx,  24 Pajre  171 

Paul  at  Jerusalem.  Acts  xxi.  27-39.     John  xv,  20 105,  149, 177,  180 

Paul  and  the  Bigoted  Jews.  Acts  xxii.  17-30.     Matt,  xxiii,  13 172 

Paul  before  the  Council.  Acts  xxiii,  1-11.    Acts  vi.  10 141 

Paul  before  Felix.  Acts  xxiv,  10-25.    Acts  xxiv,  25 100,  117 

Paul  before  Agrippa.  Acts  xxvi,  6-20.     Acts  xxvi,  19 -j  29'  ^  i^  135^145  m  Yi 

Almost  Persuaded.  Acts  xxvi,  21-29.    Acts  xxvi,  28 88, 89, 119, 155 

Paul  in  the  Storm.  Acts  xxvii.  14-26.    Psa.  Ivi,  3 123,  124,  125, 163, 165 

The  Deliverance.  Acts  xxvii,  33-44.     Psa.  cvii,  30 151.  1 7S 

Paul  in  Melita.  Acts  xxviii,  1-10.    Rom.  i,  14 99,  100.  127 

Paul  at  Rome.  Acts  xxviii,  16-31.    Rom.  i,  15, 16 14-16,  163,  172 

Paul's  Last  Words.  2  Tim.  iv,  1-8.    2  Tim.  iv,  7 -|  f^9^1  ns^fc  Ysi 

Review,  or  Lesson  selected  by  the  School.  Phil,  iii,  8 j  ^  5U1^L66?  167,'  m 


YB  45219 


